Sense and Sensibility
by Blue Eyed Pandas
Summary: SEQUEL TO RESCUING HART! How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world. OFFICIAL SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. October 1st

**Sense and Sensibility**

 **A/N: Sequel to Rescuing Hart! Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Farkle Minkus thought it would be easy living with his two closest friends, but turns out it's harder than he had anticipated. Maya Hunter and Joshua Matthews are in a strong and stable relationship, with the support of both families, but they learn that there are many trials when it comes to juggling the many roles of life. Riley Matthews thought her heart moved to Texas, but the boy upstairs seems to be messing with her head, unintentionally. Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count: 6,895**

 **Warning:** ** _Where Riley's is confused and her thoughts are everywhere._**

 **Chapter 1: October 1st**

 **(Riley)**

There was a breeze in the air, as the leaves turned into a sea of amber and red. Even in the concrete jungle, known as New York City, the single trees outside the small vintage townhouse in Upper East Manhattan showed the signs of fall. October 1st was finally upon the year. The time when the smell of Pumpkin Spice and candy filled the air, and the fall festivities were in full swing. It was romantic, where walks in Central Park were nice and beautiful, and coffee dates were a weekly thing. It was Riley Matthews favorite time of the year.

The day was beautiful and the skies were clear, or what she could see from sitting on the steps right outside the little place she lived on E 82nd Street. Every now and then, cars would drive by, but people mostly walked everywhere they went, and they would stop at the edge of the steps of where the brunette was sitting, and she would greet them by name. It was a morning ritual, especially on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when her roommate and best friend, Maya Hunter would be up early for class, and be out the door before the clock struck eight.

Her other roommate, Farkle Minkus was probably awake by now, it being 8:30. He took his time to get up in the morning, now that he was in college, and wasn't forced to be at school at 7:45 by law. He and Riley loved the fact that they could start the week sleeping in if they wanted to.

She could feel the buzz and hear the slight text tone coming from the ground where she sat. Her eyes lingered over the tab where it said _Mommy_ in the title, reminding her about work in the afternoon. Her heart dropped, thinking that it might have been her boyfriend of four years, Lucas Friar. He would normally text her in the mornings before he went to the gym with his teammates. That was something he did every morning during the week, in preparation for the season in Spring Term. He was a freshman and starting shortstop for the Texas University baseball team. Riley was proud of him, as any girlfriend should be.

Everyone was proud of him. He was thriving in his new life (or old one since this wasn't the first time he had lived in Texas, though Riley believed he'd converted nicely as a New Yorker in the last couple of years). And within his busy baseball schedule, he was making the grades he needed for the Vet Program, which she had heard was super difficult.

So how was being in a relationship with someone living 2,000 miles away, with a busy schedule like his? Riley liked to believe that she was as optimistic as they come. She had hoped that things would work out for the best. She would have said that two months ago, and did say that six months ago, and she knows that she believed it a year ago. But as of this moment, she is stumped. Confused and in another word, conflicted, but most of all, hurt.

From the moment she met him, she was taken with him. He was a nice guy, and great to talk to. And he still is. Yes, she knows he can't help it. Lucas Friar is a gorgeous human being and any girl would be lucky to be with him, or be friends with him, which was why she was lucky to be the girl he had chosen. She had all the confidence in the world to believe that they could stay together, no matter how difficult life would get, but her faith in him was waring down. She loved him, but she was beginning to think that the feeling wasn't mutual anymore.

It had been three days. Three days and there was no call and no text. Not even when she had wished him the best of luck on his scrimmage game Saturday somewhere against some Community college not far from Austin, Texas. Lucas had never ignored a message, and always reached out to her, but the hours were going by and Riley was worried that something had happened to him, or if he decided to put his girlfriend on the back burner.

She was afraid that he had done something stupid and was scared to tell her what he had done. It wasn't like he didn't have many opportunities to do stupid things. They even had an argument about something that didn't happen, but could have happened three weeks ago. It was one of the many little bicker sessions they had, except this one made her head want to explode.

* * *

Her fingers gripped her phone hard, making her knuckles white. Her teeth were clenched, and her lips were sealed together like a sewed line. Her expression might have looked like a scowl, but she was fuming. Maya sat criss cross on her bed from across the room, diagonally from her, looking at Riley intently. She blinked and her lips parted ever so slightly, giving her enough time to take a small breath before speaking. "Riles?" She asked. The brunette said nothing. "Riley, what's wrong?"

The blonde slowly got up and walked over to sit on Riley's bed. The brunette was silent, but slid the phone over to her best friend, who examined the photo thoroughly. About 30 seconds went by before Maya huffed. "And this was posted tonight?" Riley nodded. "I oughta call him and give him a piece of my mind!"

"No Maya, if anyone needs to call him, it's got to be me. I can't have you getting in an argument on my behalf," Riley said, somewhat between calm and aggravated. "But how do I approach this?"

Maya darted her eyes up to Riley's. "How do you approach this? Riles, you need to ask him why the hell would he be taking pictures like that with other girls that aren't his girlfriend?" She exclaimed, her tone now fumed. "And he better as hell have a damn good explanation about this, because I won't hesitate to fly down to Texas to beat his ass!"

Riley looked down at the photo. A girl had posted a photo with her and Lucas at a frat party. He had a beer in his hand and a girl half-naked hanging on his arm. His cheeky smile caused her heart to hurt more than the girl who was taking the picture with him. The girl wasn't all that pretty, with her short platinum blonde hair that looked more like a wig on her head, and the excessive red lipstick she sported that made her look like a clown. It was the fact that he seemed to not think it was a problem that another girl was hanging on his arm that wasn't his girlfriend.

The caption didn't help either. "Got me some fresh meat tonight!" That was enough to make Riley's stomach upset. Maya kept repeating the caption several times. "If he . . . I'm telling you . . . He better not have . . . I am going to . . ." she shook her head in disbelief. "You need to call him. Now."

Her eyes widened. "Now?"

"Yes, Riley. Now. If you won't, I will and you don't want me to call him, because we'll be beefing it out, and Lucas Peyton-Wesley Friar does not want to be on my bad side!" She yelled. It had been a long time since his full name had come from the blondes mouth. Only when she was angry with him, and really angry with him, that's when she said his full name, which only happened two times, this being the second time. The first was well . . . no need to go into that right now.

Riley sighed, her thumb hovering over the call button. One lingering look at Maya and she pressed dial. It wasn't long before he answered. "Riley I know what it looks like, and I swear to you nothing happened. I told Kara to take it off and she's not cooperating." Interesting how that was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

It's almost like he was expecting her to call and snap at him. "Lucas! How do you think this looks to me?"

"I know! But nothing happened! She's just a senior who was taking photos with all the baseball players," he explained. "I don't even remember taking the picture with her."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean you don't remember?" Maya scoffed in the background, pacing the room. "You looked pretty happy, smiling at the camera like you were," She retorted, putting the phone on speaker. "Please tell me you told her you had a girlfriend?"

"Yes! I told her I had a girlfriend . . ." he stated, and she waited for further explanation. "Today at school." Her heart dropped.

"Today?" She yelled. "What do you mean you told her today?" Maya was about to say something, before Riley put her hand on her mouth.

She could hear him groan on the other line and she was getting annoyed. "As soon as the picture was snapped, she was off to the next person to take a photo with! Riley, I would never in a million years hurt you! You're my girlfriend." She was silent for a long time, but she believed him, because she loved him.

The conversation ended quickly after that, leaving the brunette with a sense of frustration and hurt. Maya had asked Riley once again, "do you think this long-distance thing is going to work out?" She meant nothing bad by it, but she had a point. "This is going to happen again. You and I both know it is. He lives 2,000 miles away from here, and he'll be gone for eight years being in Veterinary school. His parents are even moving back to Texas! That means he won't be back for summer, and he wont be here for the holidays. If this keeps happening, distance is going to catch up to him, and he's going to hurt you even more than he is right now. And where does that leave you two? Not friends anymore and bitter towards each other in the long run?"

The comment had been running through her mind everyday. Maya was right. It was going to happen again. And it did, the very next weekend, and Lucas had called Riley personally after the photo was posted. But she loved him and forgave him for that too. Her two roommates were not happy with her forgiving him so easily. She even overheard Maya mention to Farkle about maybe something more had happened. Lucas was a good guy, but he wasn't a Saint.

* * *

Her eyes, focused on the crack in the concrete didn't here the door open from behind her. It wasn't until a figure joined her on the steps, and reached over to hand her a white mug, probably filled with coffee.

Farkle Minkus's pale blue eyes were glazed with sleep. He was still wearing sweat pants and now a long-sleeved black shirt. It was a tad chilly to wear anything short-sleeved. Riley had woke with the sun, as she always did. She had been outside since the blonde had left for class.

The brunettes fingers wrapped around the mug and she pulled it up to her nose. She inhaled the fresh scent of hazelnut coffee, before taking a sip. The hot liquid made her shiver as her body warmed up. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You need to start wearing a jacket. It's getting colder. Soon we'll have to worry about snow," he voice stated, as he leaned back on the steps.

She smirked. "We're native New Yorkers. You worry too much." He looked over and gave her a soft smile. His stare lingered over her and she knew what he was thinking. She could always guess what he was thinking. "If you're going to say it, just say it."

He sighed, shaking his head. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"I know you were. Is it so bad that I'm optimistic?" She asked.

"There is nothing bad about you having hope," he stated, "but I just don't want you to make it easy for him. Because if you make it easy for him, he's going to believe that you'll forgive him every time, and once that thought gets into his head, one night, he'll be drunk and some helpless girl, who's looking for a good time will be hanging all over him, and he'll think 'Riley always forgives me for stupid things,' and he'll do that stupid thing. Because right now, it's just pictures with girls, and what happens next? Just ask your uncle."

She shook her head. "Are you kidding? Josh will blow a gasket if he knew!"

His eyes met hers. "Shouldn't that be enough for you to realize you shouldn't forgive him so easily?" He licked his lips. "I know you love him, believe me, and he's a good guy and one of my best friends too, but so is Smackle, and look what she did? Good people can make mistakes and hurt the ones they love, even if they didn't mean to." She was silent, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "FYI, Josh already knows. You think Maya is going to keep something like that from him? They're dating and they have a policy. No lying. Plus, I might be one of her best friends, but why vent to me, when she has a boyfriend who could actually tell her exactly what goes on at those kinds of events." He continued to study her face. "You're having doubts. I know you are. I can see it in your face. You just don't want to admit it aloud. Riley, Lucas might be one of my best friends, and I care about his feelings, but when it comes down to the two of you? It's no contest. I care that _you_ don't get hurt." She desperately wanted to change the subject. She hadn't said a word about him not talking to her in the last few days. She was afraid he or Maya would blow freak if he said anything.

"What if I hurt him?" She asked, nonchalantly, trying to redirect the conversation.

He chuckled. "You? Hurt him? Riles, I know you. No matter how bad the situation is, even if you were put in a bad position, you could never hurt him on purpose. It's not in your character. You're too sweet. You're too good."

"I have a dark side," she snapped.

His eyes looked at her from the side and he snorted. "Okay Morotia."

She actually smiled sadly and there was silence for a few minutes as she thought about his comment. "You're right. I couldn't hurt him. The worst I'd probably do is yell at him. I couldn't bring myself to do something like cheat on him, even if I didn't care for him in a romantic way. I would feel too guilty."

He raised his eyebrows. "Were you stating an example or a fact?"

She blinked, thinking about what she had said. Had she been so hurt that she had begun to look at her relationship with Lucas in a different light? "I don't know." Those were the words that left her mouth before she could think about it anymore.

He put his head back on the railing and said nothing for a few moments, while they just watched the people pass by, some waving or nodding at them, and reciprocating the gesture. "It's Monday. Are you working later?"

She shifted her position so she was facing him, but leaned back on her railing. "Yeah, my mom called, and I'll be at the cafe from four till closing," she ran her thumb across the mug, cleaning the coffee drippings. "Maya works from three to eight tonight at A1. When do you go into work?"

A biker riding down the side walk chimed at the college kids before answering. "Tomorrow. I've been helping Kyle out with the CPR classes."

She blinked a few times. "I still can't believe Lucas and Zay convinced you to start working out at Sports Center with them last year."

"Hey, the gym has actually done me some good. Especially after Smackle and I started having problems in the beginning of last year. I was distracting myself from all the chaos and emotions. I guess once the break up was official, I had taken up a routine after my shifts at the Observatory, and now since I've been helping out at Chelsea SP, extra hours are nice."

She had to admit that the gym had been great for him. He was less frail than he had been in early high school, and more built. You could see the muscle he had when wearing a short-sleeved shirt. She laughed internally at how his name definitely didn't match his physique anymore.

"Since you'll be at the cafe, I'll probably come study there." He said. "My professors haven't really been scheduling that much homework. It's kind of making me nervous that there is going to be some pop quiz." She leaned forward and placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "What are you doing?"

"You just said you're nervous about a pop quiz. I'm just checking to see if you have a fever." She teased him.

She could see that he was wanting to smile, but he wasn't going to. "Shut up. College is difficult. Especially when you don't have a teacher like your dad."

"My dad's the best there is," she smiled proudly. His expression mirrored hers. She waited for him to say something to her, but she was curious as to why he was looking at her like that. "What?"

He looked away, shrugging. "I haven't seen you smile like that in a while. I miss it." She didn't say anything, but only smiled at him once more, which made him chuckle when his eyes turned back to her face. "Come on, let's finish this inside. It's getting cooler out here."

* * *

She had class this morning at ten. In the beginning of the semester, she made sure to look professional everyday, now that it was a month and a half in and getting cold outside, she could honestly care less about professional, only about being comfy. So leggings and and sweaters were her go to outfit. Her hair was down and brushed, but their was no specific style to it. She looked at herself in the mirror and debated whether or not she should try and do something with her hair. Maybe a cut? Or put layers into it? Instead of pondering on that right at the moment, she put some light foundation on and walked out of her and Maya's shared room.

Their room was downstairs in the master bedroom. Because they were sharing a room, Farkle suggested they take the larger one. He was upstairs right off the loft area where the living room was. Right outside Riley and Maya's room, was the hallway that led into the kitchen, and down on the opposite side of the hall was the study, where there was a desk and a library of books covering the walls. The kitchen was small, but simple. There was a tiny island in the middle, with two bar chairs on one side.

Farkle was sitting at one of the bar stools, looking through his phone. Riley set her own cell down and made her way to the fridge to grab her a water bottle. "So I'll see you at the cafe later?" She said.

He nodded. "Have fun at class," his voice called out as she walked out the door. She doubted "fun" would be in her vocabulary today.

The more notes she wrote, the more her hand cramped. College was the opposite of high school, and nothing compared. Her teachers spoke at fast paces, so voice recorders and dribbling words sloppily on a piece of notebook paper took up the hour and fifteen minutes she had to absorb all the information she was given. Later she would transfer it all neatly to her organized notebook.

The lectures seemed long, and not having anyone she hardly knew in class didn't help the fun factor. Yindra Johns, a girl she went to high school with, sat two rows back from her. If only they had known they were going to share a class, they would have saved each other a seat on the first day. Their teacher, an old guy, with a very dry sense of humor believed that seating arrangements were nice to have in order to learn peoples names, and the fact that it was easier to keep up with the students and how many classes they miss. They were told on the first day strictly that they were only allowed to miss four days at the most per semester in the class.

During the small talk about simple differences in Greek and Roman architecture, Riley had the strangest feeling someone was staring at the back of her head. Was that normal? She lightly turned around, meaning to look at Yindra, who hadn't looked at her until she had turned around. Instead, a boy two seats down from her high school peer was looking right at her. He was a decent looking kid, but had a creepy vibe to him. Riley thought about what his name had been. Dillon she wanted to say. His last name was unknown. She felt slightly uncomfortable with him staring at her, so she looked away, in hopes he would do the same.

Once the class was dismissed, she gathered her things, and Yindra met her at the door. They walked to Building B for each of their next classes. Her friend's dark eyes watched Dillon as he past by. "Was he looking at me the whole class period?" Riley asked.

"Well, once you looked back at me, then over at him, I continued to watch him the rest of the period. It's almost like you had something sticking out the back of your head that made him look at you so hard. That's creepy," Yindra stated, looking up at the brunette. "Sorry, I should have kept that last comment to myself."

Riley shrugged. "It's okay. I think I need someone to tell me if it's creepy or not. If it continues, I'll probably have to report him."

The dark girl laughed. "Or you can call Lucas. I'm sure he'd give Dillon one look, and the creep wouldn't even consider glancing at you ever again." Riley didn't saying but smile as they walked. "Or Farkle. He might not have looked like much in high school, but I saw him working out the other day at Chelsea," Yindra's eyebrows were cocked high in the air, looking impressed. "He gave my brother a run for his money on the weights. Farkle sure isn't Farkley anymore."

"You've got that right," Riley said as they were walking up the stairs. "He loves it. It's been a really nice distraction for him since he and Smackle ended things."

She nodded. "That's got to be hard. I didn't think that would ever happen."

"Nobody really expected it," Riley sighed. "Though things are so much better than before, it's still hard on both of them." Meaning, that Smackle still felt guilty, even though Farkle is past being upset.

"Well, I'm glad Farkle has been doing good. How's Maya?" They turned the corner into the hallway on the third floor.

Riley felt the cold bite of air from the air conditioning. It was always cold on this floor. "She's doing great. Loves every art class she's taking. Loves working at the record shop, and is happily in love for once in her life, which is nice to see."

Yindra pointed at nothing in particular. "Isn't she dating one of your family members? I thought I saw her at Prom last year dancing with a very attractive college kid with the last name Matthews."

Riley chuckled. "Yeah, Josh is my super young uncle. He's three years older than us."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "He went on the Nature Club trip with us to the Mount Sun Lodge! I knew I had recognized his face, but three years makes a difference in someones looks." She stopped at her door. "Is it weird that Maya is dating your uncle?"

"In a way, yes, but I've never seen them both so happy in my entire life," she smiled. "The way they are around each other, and the way they talk about each other, even when the other isn't there, it's so sweet and disgustingly cute. I never want to take that away from them."

"I'm happy Maya's past all the troubles she faced last year. I was really worried about her after the accident. What about you and Lucas? How is long distance?" Yindra asked.

Riley thought about asking someone outside of her group of friends for advice, but she didn't feel like it was the right time. She just smiled and put on her best fake face. "It can be hard sometimes, especially when you miss them all the time, and we're really busy, but we're pulling through." Well it didn't sound as confident as she hoped it would.

She nodded. "That's good. I'm glad things are working out. I wished that same for me and Nigel, but three hour difference cross-country is very difficult."

Riley had totally forgot her and Nigel started dating in the beginning of Senior year. "You guys broke up?"

Her dark eyes found the tan carpet on the floor. "Well, we officially parted ways last month. We're on okay terms, but we both agreed that we live two separate lives now, and it will be this way until we decide what path to take with our careers. We were so busy and rarely talked on the phone, only texted and even that, he's three hours behind us, and I fell asleep on so many of our conversations and though he understood, he would still be upset, and it was all too much for me. My grade slipped in Mr. McHale's class and I missed those two days not because I was sick, but because I overslept trying to talk to Nigel. We had a couple of arguments and all I kept thinking was, I'm not only holding myself back from living a good college experience, without the struggles of a long distance relationship, but I was holding him back too. My mother always told me, if we're supposed to be together in the long run, it'll happen. Nigel and I just had bad timing."

There were so many things she wanted to say, but talking about this to Yindra, she felt like she was betraying her two best friends who she could trust with her life. Not that she didn't trust the girl, but she didn't feel right talking to her about her and Lucas's situation. So she put an hand on her shoulder. "You never know, Nigel is a good guy, and I believe if we have faith, and we keep a smile on our face, things will work out. Life knows what it's doing."

"I knew you would say something like that. You've always been Optimistic Riley, since the day I met you in fifth grade," she smiled. "Thank you, I'll see you on Wednesday."

The brunette nodded as the girl departed into the classroom. Riley proceeded down the hall to her own class thinking about the similarities of the two relationships. There had been many nights Riley had fallen asleep, mid conversation with Lucas. Those were partially why they had gotten into a couple arguments themselves, so that she could relate.

As to bad timing? No she couldn't possibly believe that her and Lucas had bad timing. They've been dating for four years. That's an accomplishment for a lot of young people, and a record by her standards.

Was she holding him back? Well, from the passed events he's been to on the weekends, he could have had the opportunity to explore new things, but he was loyal (as far as she knew) to her. Was she being held back? In a way, she could possibly relate to Yindra's point. She did feel like she might as well be trapped from moving forward. It was usually when she had been going out with Maya, Josh and Farkle on the weekends. Sure it was fun, but seeing her best friend dance close with her uncle (which was still something she had been getting used to) and Farkle, who was asked to dance by a variety of women, made her crave to be free. Was it so bad that she felt this way? She wasn't thinking about being with another man, but she did feel temptation when she would be asked, as well as feel singled out in the group. The feeling she would be cheating on Lucas if she had even considered dancing with someone other than him, even if it was just a dance.

She had thought about their decision to remain long-distance as a way to avoid other interactions with other people. The only person she'd ever known to have a relationship with, was Lucas. Sure she dated Charlie for like a good minute, but that didn't count, because she didn't kiss him or do anything physical with him like she and Lucas had. This thought was leading her to believe that maybe she needed new experiences. But that would mean that she would have to split with the guy she loved. Confusion washed over her once more.

Why couldn't there be someone who could tell her what was supposed to happen?

Sitting down in the chair, she gave a half smile to the girl sitting next to her, and she opened her book that was filled with sticky notes and waited for the teacher to begin the lesson.

* * *

She refilled his cup of coffee as he sucked it down in between writing notes and drawing diagrams. After taking orders from other customers at the register, and checking on the others, Riley made her way around the backside of the counter and back over to her roommate. His blue eyes stared intently at the few notecards he had finished creating. His thick eyebrows were scrunched together, and he bit his lip in concentration. He had been staring down at words for the past two hours since he'd been here.

Riley glanced over at the case filled with danishes. She took one and put it on a plate and slid it over to him, barely grazing his arm. Farkle looked over at the sweet pastry and then up at Riley who was smiling at him. She took a piece for herself and bit into it. "You know, it's good to take breaks in between study sessions."

"What are you talking about? I take breaks," he stated, now taking another sip of his coffee that he hadn't touched in the last fifteen minutes she had been running around.

"Yeah?" her eyebrows arched up, "You've been staring at those notes for the last two hours so intently, I'm surprised you haven't burned a hole into the paper." She began to wipe the top counter.

He rolled his eyes. "Geniuses don't take breaks."

She stopped wiping and crossed her arms. "I take breaks. So you're saying that I'm not a genius?"

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "I didn't mean it that way, I'm sorry." He took a bite of the danish.

"What's wrong?" Riley asked. "And don't lie to me." This was also their policy.

He cracked his knuckles, one finger at a time. He was about to go on a rant. "Smackle was accepted into the NASA program. We had applied for the same program, and she got it. She also beat me in having the highest GPA in our class, which makes me number two. I've done nothing but work my ass for the last four years doing good in school, striving to make my parents happy, make my girlfriend happy, my friends happy, and what do I get? No acceptance into the program that me and Smackle wanted to do together, my parents upset with me because I didn't get in, and I still decided to not go to Princeton and I was cheated on in the process, by the girl who beat me in everything." He leaned forward, his elbows supporting his head that was facing down in frustration. "I don't mean this as anything against you and Maya. I love living with you guys, and you guys are pretty much the only reason I'm happy as of this moment. I can go to the school I want and not live with my parents who are upset about me not attending the same school my dad had attended. I just think the universe was messing with me by blessing the girl who cheated on me and got exactly what she wanted."

Riley knew he was only bitter towards the lady genius only because she did him wrong and was still granted good. He was still bothered, even after all this time and Riley felt for him. He should have been blessed with everything he's ever wanted, because Farkle deserved the best, because thats what he puts out, 100% in everything he does. She lightly reached out and placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it. "I know you're probably tired of Optimistic Riley, but I know you're going to get everything you've ever wanted Farkle. These things take time and the people who are patient are the one who are blessed the most."

He stared at their hands with a solemn expression. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of Optimistic Riley." His eyes met hers. "She keeps me going forward. And I hope you're right." He took another bite of the sweet dish. "How much do I owe you for the danish?"

"It's on the house," she stated giving him a serious look. A look he knew he couldn't argue with.

He smiled slightly and barely in a whisper he said, "Thanks Riles."

He ended up staying till closing, taking a couple breaks to talk to her and eventually helping her clean up the cafe. Auggie, Ava, and Dewey had stopped by for a treat, which was nice, because Riley didn't get to see her brother, other than once or twice a week when she was able to have dinner with them. Seeing the small trio reminded her of the relationship with Maya and Farkle. And it brought her back to easier times in life, where she didn't have to worry about the confusion and pressure of a romantic relationship. She missed the times where she just looked at her friends as friends, instead of just girls and boys.

Once locking up, they walked out into the brisk cold air that had dropped since the sun went down and Farkle hailed a taxi to take them uptown to the little townhouse.

"Honey, we're home!" Riley said as she opened the front door, taking off her coat and hanging it on the coatrack by the door. Maya was already home. She was sitting at the bar, her nose in her art book, and a spoon in her mouth from eating a bowl of yogurt. She had a stack of three records next to her. She loved bringing home new vinyls. Perks of working at a record store.

The blonde glanced up at her. "Hello my lovelies. How was work and school?"

Farkle laughed as he opened up the fridge to grab the container of yogurt. "You sound like my mother. School was boring and I spent the rest of the day having Riley serve me coffee and danishes."

Riley smirked. "I live to serve my friends," she grabbed them two bowls. "As for class, there's this creepy kid in my Humanities class. His name is Dillon and he stared at the back of my head the whole entire hour and fifteen minutes."

"He probably thinks you should do something new with your hair," Maya suggested, only teasing her. Funny how that same thought crossed her mind as she was getting ready this morning.

Eating from the bowl, the brunette asked, "How was your day, Peaches?"

She shrugged. "Just like any other. I had lunch with Josh though, so that's a plus!" Riley thought that was nice. Josh had been working so hard lately that eating lunch with Maya was like a monthly treat. "I have this assignment coming up though, that my instructor was telling me and another girl today, and I think I could use you guys's help, but I'm going to need all of the photos you took in Hawaii, Freckle."

He nodded. "Of course. I have them all downloaded on my laptop. I can transfer them onto a drive, and that way you can have them all on yours. What's the project on?"

"My teacher likes to call it 'The Bigger Picture.' I want to create a mural on an adventure and talk about this moment of clarity that I had standing on the top of Oahu and how it reflects on my past and future," she explained. Since the accident, Riley had seen a drive in Maya so intense, it was almost as if she was untouchable. She had believed in the impossible, and was now looking more in the brighter side of any situation. Having a near death experience, or in this case, knowing that her heart stopped twice had really made her rethink the way she was living life, no matter if it was getting better before hand.

"That sounds awesome, Maya." He looked over at Riley. "Have you talked t Lucas today?" He asked, and she wondered if Farkle had tried talking to him and he wasn't answering his texts either.

She couldn't have another conversation about Lucas and his problems, at least not for tonight. "Only this morning. It's Monday, a busy day for everyone." She lied, looking down at her phone staring at his contact name. Tomorrow will be four days since they have spoken, and she was wondering what was wrong. "Have you guys been texting him?"

Maya shrugged. "Not from him. Charlie texted me Saturday telling me how they won their scrimmage game, and he snap chatted me a video of them all celebrating. Looked like they were having fun."

Knowing that Maya knew more than she did was unsettling. "They were at a party?" Riley asked.

Maya nodded, taking another spoonful of yogurt, eyeing her best friend cautiously. "Yeah, looked like it."

Farkle dropped his spoon in the bowl. "I don't think it's fair. Every time you go out, you don't have as much fun, because your making sure you stay loyal to your boyfriend. You reject several people because you do the right thing, being in a committed relationship, and Lucas is down south, partying it up every weekend with his baseball buddies and doesn't bother to mention to anyone that he has a girlfriend until after something happens that requires him to say something."

Maya sighed. "We have to remember, this is Huckleberry we're talking about. The guy who didn't chose between me and Riley right off the bat because he wanted to spare the feelings of the other he wasn't going to choose. I mean, we could still probably be in that triangle, if I hadn't have told him to go tell Riley exactly how he felt. He's a nice guy to everyone. I don't think he's going to willingly hurt her. If something happened, he'd fly his ass up here, or call her on the phone and talk to her about it."

Riley's expression dropped just wanting the conversation to stop. "Well, I'm going get a shower and get comfortable." She made her way into her and Maya's room, closing the door and began to discard her clothes. The bathroom, which was a decent size had a jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. She decided that she wanted a bath tonight, knowing that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

As the bubbles filled up, she placed her phone on the side, while she was getting in. She found herself staring at her boyfriends contact name again. This time, she decided to text him. Just a simple message: Hey.

What else was she going to say? She wasn't going to scorn him for not talking to her these last couple of days. She wasn't that type of girlfriend, and didn't want to be. She honestly couldn't be the girl who was all up in her man's business. That's what drive people away. He was his own person and she believed that there was an explanation to every situation.

Her head was reclined back as she sat in the warmth of the tub that smelled like fresh scented lavender and vanilla. Her eyes closed for a few moments only to open them to check her phone. Her heart had dropped. The message she had sent him 20 minutes ago was read, but there was no reply.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! So I'm back and I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter! I wanted to make it a baseline for where I'm going with Riley's character, as well as her feelings. Things are happening. Anyway, as of right now I don't have a specific day for updating, but I'm working on it and I'll let you know ASAP. Follow/Favorite. Leave me a Review if you have any questions or suggestions! Have an awesome week.**

 ** _xoxo Amanda._**

* * *

 **Preview to Next Chapter:**

 _Maya's eyes widened and she looked at the date again on the calendar on the fridge. "What do you mean? She 12 days early!" Her eyes met Riley's and she motioned with her hands and mouthed to her the words, Baby._


	2. Hope and Timing

**Sense and Sensibility**

 **A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews. Y'all are seriously amazing.**

 **Lucayagoals4ever: This will be centered around Riley, Farkle, Maya, and Josh.**

 **(I haven't decided if I'm going to include from the others prospectives, but there is a chance that may happen if it's a situation that involves them specifically.)**

 **Darth Becky 726: this one's for you!**

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another?_

 _Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count: 7,886**

 **Warning: *Flashback* Baby Hunter is born.**

* * *

 **Previously on S & S: **

_As the bubbles filled up, she placed her phone on the side, while she was getting in. She found herself staring at her boyfriends contact name again. This time, she decided to text him. Just a simple message: Hey._

 _What else was she going to say? She wasn't going to scorn him for not talking to her these last couple of days. She wasn't that type of girlfriend, and didn't want to be. She honestly couldn't be the girl who was all up in her man's business. That's what drive people away. He was his own person and she believed that there was an explanation to every situation._

 _Her head was reclined back as she sat in the warmth of the tub that smelled like fresh scented lavender and vanilla. Her eyes closed for a few moments only to open them to check her phone. Her heart had dropped. The message she had sent him 20 minutes ago was read, but there was no reply._

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Hope and Timing**

 **(Maya)**

Within the walls of the huge room, color bursted through the small paintings and large murals. In the middle of it all, a sheet covered the floor and an easel and chair sat on top occupied by a young blonde woman. Her blue irises focused intently on the canvas in front of her. Ten minutes ago, she couldn't have said exactly what she was painting, because the goal was unknown. That was her thing, to sit and let her imagination take over. Maya Hunter was on autopilot when working in the zone.

The music ventured between pop and rock on her playlist and blasted through the bluetooth speakers, courtesy of her step-dad, Shawn. She was sitting in the small studio apartment on the floor above her parents place, where her step-dad worked and kept all of his equipment. Because he and Katy were taking care of the little ball of sunshine downstairs, Shawn needed another space to do his work. So he shared the place with Maya, when she needed to paint and do her art projects.

She had some difficulty in the beginning of the semester finding an area in the small townhouse to do work on her assignments for class. Her art stuff had taken up a lot of space and she felt like her work of getting these projects done were getting in the way of her roommates. Sure they understood, but Maya had a specific routine when it came to art. She blared the music, and the specific genre that would bring out her emotions, because that's what reflected on the canvas. She could use headsets, but she felt like those were for the class period, when she was completing small assignments sitting down, on the other hand, the cord got in her way. Bigger projects allowed her to stand and move around, and she had a habit for dancing to the music when she got the chance.

So this was the best option. It also kept her close to her family, so Katy could watch her paint, and she could talk to Shawn while he was busy in the small dark room with the photos. She and her step-dad had grown in their father-daughter relationship. There were moments where they would crack jokes and laugh about nonsense, and then there were the intellectual, deep conversations they got into. Maya was also down in the apartment with her new born little sister all the time. She had never seen such a cute delicate little baby. And she fell in love with her from the moment she held her for the first time. The day she was born was a big moment for the Hunter family as a whole.

* * *

The day was as normal as they come, it being July 26. Maya was just walking in the door of the little townhouse, making a bee line for the fridge to find some food. Her stomach was empty and in desperate need to fill it with that leftover pizza they had stuffed in there. She had worked this morning, selling records at the A1 shop down in Midtown. She used to work at the cafe with her mom and Riley, but after graduation, and the girls moved in together, sharing the same room, bathroom and all, they were beginning to be too close all the time. They loved each other, but they decided that in order to keep their distance and have their alone time, was to have separate work lives. Riley continued to work at the cafe once Maya found a job opening at A1. Since then, things have been better.

Setting her stuff down on the bar, Riley walked out of their shared bedroom. Joining her by sitting on one of the bar stools. "You'll never guess who I saw this morning walk into the cafe." Her eyes were shinning and her smile was excited. Was it a movie star or something?

The blonde stared at the pizza she set on the counter, debating whether or not she wanted to heat it up or eat it cold. "Who'd ya see?"

"Two-Shoes Louie!" The blondes eyes widened. She hadn't seen Lou in almost three years. "And he's not just Two-Shoes Louie anymore! More like Million-Shoe Louie . . ." her voice faltered, and her head cocked to the side as she thought about what she had said. Maya narrowed her eyebrows and the brunette put a hand up. "Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration. I mean who has a million pairs of shoes? He's more like Hundred-Shoe Louie. All I know is he came in wearing suit and tie, nice pair of loafers, shaved faced, hair cut, and he was holding a briefcase. Then I saw one of Uncle Eric's businessmen sit down to have a conversation with him."

Maya picked up the piece of cold pizza and took a bite. "And did you hear the conversation?"

She shrugged. "Just business talk. I think he's working for my uncle."

"Well, it's been three years since we've seen him. You never know what could have happened. Plus, you know Eric, if he sees a guy he could invest in, he'd take him in in a heart beat. Because he's a Matthews and y'all care about everyone," she stated.

Riley smiled amusingly. At least she wasn't disagreeing. She had opened her mouth to say something, but the buzzing of Maya's phone came on and Shawn's ringtone started blaring. She took a sip of water from her best friends cup and picked up the phone. "Hey Daddio, what's up?"

"Water broke," she wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. "It's happening."

Maya's eyes widened and she looked at the date again on the calendar on the fridge. "What do you mean? She 12 days early!" Her eyes met Riley's and she motioned with her hands and mouthed to her the words, _Baby._

The brunette almost spit out her drink before running back into the room, grabbing her bag, and house keys. As Maya talked to Shawn, attempting to calm him down on the phone, letting him know that she was on the way, Riley yelled, "Farkle!" That was odd. The blonde had no idea the genius was even home.

Hearing sudden footsteps from above, Farkle looked down from the loft, putting on a shirt. "What?" His tone was alert.

"Katy's going into labor!" Riley said.

In realization of what was going on, Farkle said, "but she's not due for another two weeks."

Riley rolled her eyes. "That doesn't mean anything! We're leaving. You're free to come with us if you want to!" She called out to him as she and the blonde were heading out the door."

"I've got—" the door closed before she could hear him. As they were walking down the road, Farkle opened the front door to yell at them. "I work till five! Text me!" Maya's hand went up in the air for a thumbs up. They weren't meaning to be rude but if Katy's water broke, that meant she would be giving birth very soon.

She texted a few people that would want to know whats going on while riding the subway, mainly making sure Shawn didn't forget to let Cory and Topanga know, and then she messaged her Gammy, who would probably meet them soon. Josh would be in the middle of work, but she sent him a text anyway. They had planned to meet up for dinner, but depending on when the baby arrives, they might have to postpone.

The responses were quick, and realizing she should have given her step-father some more credit, Topanga and Cory were on their way. Gammy was coming straight from the store, and Josh said he would come by in a little while and to just keep him updated.

Arriving at the stop of their destination, they exited the train, walked up the steps and slightly down the road where the hospital was. Before going in, Maya stopped and Riley looked at her with a solemn expression. The last time she was in here, she was the patient and an unconscious one at that. She came out super weak and not being able to walk. Her whole body had felt like it could fall apart at any moment. She almost greeted death, twice. Today, the family would be greeting life and for that Maya put on a brave face and entered the lobby.

Approaching the front desk, she couldn't help but smile. Mrs. Jennai, the little old lady with the million stories was sitting there answering phones and signing papers. she was the only thing about the hospital Maya missed.

"Hi Mrs. Jennai!" The blonde greeted happily.

The old lady looked up in curiosity and her eyes widened in realization to who was speaking to her. A smile so big broke out onto her face and stood up from her chair to walk around the desk. "Maya!" She pulled her in for an embrace. "My sweet, beautiful Maya! Oh I'm so happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Mrs. Jennai," she giggled.

The elder pulled back and examined her. "Oh how wonderful it is to see you up and on your feet again. And Riley! I'm glad to see you!" She embraced the brunette before looking back at Maya. "By the way, your mother walked in about fifteen minutes ago. She's glowing! I'll get you the information to go see her." As she sat back down to type in the information she proceeded to ask her questions about school, work and friends. "So, how are you and that handsome young man I saw everyday here? Josh right?"

Maya nodded and bit her lip slightly. "We're doing great. He's amazing."

"That's fantastic. He's such a charming man." She did a little typing and wrote on a sticky note. "Your mother is on the third floor. Your father booked a private room for her." She handed her the info and she gave her most grandmother smile. "You're going to be an amazing big sister."

She really hoped so. The closest to a little sibling she ever had was Auggie (and Ava she included these last couple of years) but she didn't begin to have a strong relationship to the youngest Matthews till later on. She had always wanted a little sibling, and was a little envious of Riley because she had the life Maya wanted, including being a sister. Now she had the life she wanted, and knew that Shawn loved her mother and her, and he was going to love his little girl and not leave them. Maya was sure of it. She doesn't know if she could function if they were left again.

 _Don't think about that right now Maya_ , she thought to herself. _No need for you to think negatively. You're sister is on her way. Happy day. Happy face._

On the third floor and down in room 317, Katy already sat in a hospital bed with a robe on, and Shawn was on the phone with what sounded like Cory. Maya gave her mother a hug and Riley did too.

"So is this a false alarm?" Maya asked her mom. "You're 12 days early."

Katy smirked, and then her eyes squeezed shut and she held her stomach, even though she was sitting in a bed. Her breath hitched, and she found Shawn's hand who squeezed it back. His voice spoke into the phone. "Just get here Cory!" His voice sounded desperate. Maya wanted to chuckle at how freaked out her step-father was.

"I'm 37 weeks Maya," her mother said, once her contraction episode ended. "It's completely normal to be this early. Now if I was going into labor two weeks ago, when I was having Braxton Hicks, then I would be concerned." She started to have another episode.

Riley, who was looking at Shawn and snickered. "You're taking this a lot better than I had expected, Uncle Shawn."

He smiled slightly, still with a look of panic written in his eyes. Maya was impressed he was freaked out, but Riley had a point, he could be so much worse. "That's because I was there for your birth," he stated, looking at the brunette. "Topanga was a week early and turns out, I was the person who was with her when her water broke."

She narrowed her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah, we were picking out Cory's Christmas gift from each of us, because she knew that you would be arriving soon and wasn't sure if there would be enough time before Christmas to shop. And right in the middle of the Macy's parking lot her water broke. Probably the scariest moment. At least Katy and I were home when she found out."

Maya and Riley giggled. Not long after, Gammy walked in and so had Cory and Topanga with Auggie and Ava. They weren't old enough to stay by themselves at the apartment yet, and Mr. Matthews had been watching the kids, since he didn't work over the summer.

It had been a couple hours, and Katy had been dilating smoothly. She was super close, but not close enough. She only had two more centimeters, and was asking for medication. According to Gammy, she did this when she was in labor with Maya. Her goal was natural birth, but by six centimeters, she was asking for the epidural. The doctor had also mentioned there were two people allowed to be in the room when the birthing process would begin. Shawn and Maya had been the two who were chosen by Katy to take part in the experience.

It was 5:30 and the clock was ticking on by. Farkle had arrived, knowing that he didn't have to be there, but it was summer and he didn't have anything else to do. Plus, he had mentioned to Maya that he was avoiding his parents place for some unknown reasons, so he was supposed to hang out with Riley since Lucas and Zay had already departed for their new lives.

To pass the time, Maya sat by reading a novel by Claire North called A Sudden Appearance of Hope. Once upon a time, she used to not read novels, but ever since Shawn entered her life, he seemed to bring out her love for stories. Plus with her being an artist, and being visual learner, she like to imagine what the characters looked like, and picture what they were doing. Like watching a movie in her head. Plus they had to have a really good storyline. She had read all of the Harry Potter books, to Riley's excitement, because she had the insight way before freshman year. She had also read some of James Patterson and Stephen King. Maya had like the mystery of it all and was always trying to guess the ending. However this particular story was becoming one of her favorites. She stole it from Shawn's library and he told her to keep it.

"How you liking it?" Her step-father asked. Her mother had fallen asleep due to the medicine she had received. She wouldn't be waking up until it was time to push.

She set the book on her lap. "I love it. It's deep, mysterious, and all I can think of is the name of the character: Hope. She's forgotten. By her family, her friends, acquaintances, like she's ceased to exist. It makes you wonder if the author picked the name specifically because sometimes hope is hard to find. Like maybe she was writing it, because hope was non-existent for her."

"That's why it's one of my favorites, and we both love it. Why? Because you and I struggled and we know that it's hard sometimes to believe that hope exists. We want to believe it, but it's not easy."

Maya licked her lips. "I love the character though. Hope is a person, even though forgotten, and sometimes a criminal, she wants to be a good person, and cares for her friends. She's also a badass with an imagination. Sort of reminds me of—"

"You?" He asked.

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "I was going to say a female version of _you_ , but I guess I could be a little badass," she smirked.

He chuckled, sitting. "She does remind me of myself in high school, so I guess I could agree with you." He sat on the other side of the couch. "Can I tell you something?" She nodded. "When I first met you, you reminded me so much of myself, it was scary. The way you walked, the way you talked. Your actions, and before I had met your mother, I had asked myself quite a few times if there was any chance I had run into her years ago." Was he saying that he thought a long time ago that he was her father? "I know that's probably weird," his voice high-pitched at the end.

Maya smiled slightly. "That's not weird." His expression asked her to continue. "For a long time in the beginning when I met you, I had also considered the thought. And sometimes, I pretended that you were and that Kermit was never my father."

"Doesn't that make it harder though, believing that?"

She shook her head. "No. Because believing that, I could pretend that you never willingly chose to leave me and my mom, you just didn't know I existed. And that makes it easier."

He stared at her long and hard. "Maya, though you aren't blood, I'm blessed to call you my daughter, and happy that you chose me to take on the role as your father."

"I'm grateful and honored to call you dad, and to carry your last name," she leaned over to hug him. "Now you're going to have a daughter who is your blood." There was silence for a few moments as they watched Katy sleep. "So, have you decided on a name?"

He gave her a side look. "Your mother and I had a couple ideas, and it was hard to decide. We were going to name her after someone, but we couldn't decide on who. Then we realized that we wanted her to have her own name that was for her. Your mother then thought about Gwendolyn."

Maya laughed, but then covered her mouth. " Dad, her last name is Clutterbucket, she's from Possum Trot, Arkansas, her best friends name is Bobby-Jo and my middle name is Penelope. Did you expect anything less?" He smiled shaking his head. "So that's her name?"

"Nope," he sighed. "As we were calling out names one night as a game, we both ended up saying the name Olivia at the same time, and we looked at each other and it clicked. Your mom smiled and she said, little Livvy and I loved it. So we are naming her Olivia, but I was told that I was going to pick her middle name."

"I like it. Liv Hunter. It's cute. So what's her middle name?"

He shrugged. "A few in mind. Haven't decided yet."

"You do realize you have less than 12 hours before baby Hunter arrives, right?"

"Well, then I have until I cut the umbilical cord to decide." Maya couldn't believe he hadn't decided yet. This wasn't a decision that could be drawn out of a hat. The name had to be liked, because well he would be saying the name every single day of his life (mostly).

"Are you ready?" She asked. His brow knit in confusion. "Are you ready to be a blood father?"

His expression relaxed as he thought about what to say. "If I had never watched you grow, even if it began at the age of thirteen, or became a father to you, this experience would be twice as terrifying. But, I have my incredible wife, who has already had experience raising an amazing daughter who is going to be a great big sister. I have Cory who's there to give me advice on how to be a dad, and his whole family to support all of us. It's not going to be easy at times, but I have hope." His focus on the wall on the other side of the room glossed over his eyes, like he was concentrating very hard.

Maya nodded. "I can't wait to meet her. I can't wait to hold her and sing to her, and eventually play with her. Though we're 18 years apart, I want to be involved. I've always wanted a little sibling. I never got to meet or experience life with my other half-siblings. So this is like my chance. I can actually build a relationship with her. I don't want her to grow up like we did. I want her to be surrounded every day by people who love her and that won't ever leave."

"Is that another reason why you decided to stay in New York, besides getting the scholarship?" He asked.

She nodded. "Why would I leave when I'm not ready? Yeah, I would love to travel the world someday. But in order to do that, I have to have money, and in order to have money, I have to have a full-time job, and to have a job, I have to go to school, so I'm focusing on my education. Why leave when everything I could ever want is right here?"

"I'm proud that you are maturing and being responsible."

"At least I'm moved out, so I can learn those rolls of life, even if it is with my friends," she stated, wondering where everyone was. "Um where is Riley and Farkle?"

Shawn looked over to the door. "Topanga asked Riley to go help the newbie at the cafe close up tonight, and Farkle offered to take Auggie and Ava to the Matthews apartment and watch them while we were all here. He's good kid."

"Yeah, that's Freckle for you." She was just about to make a further comment when the doctor came in telling them it was time to push.

After waking Katy up and shutting the door, Maya's heart rate picked up, knowing that her litter sister would be arriving in minutes. Her and Shawn stood on either side of the bed holding Katy's hands.

It wasn't a long process, but Maya hearing her mother cry out in pain each time the doctor told her to push, made her think about how it wasn't like this in the movies. Even Maya had to bare her own pain from her mother clenching her hand so hard. She questioned whether or not she wanted to be put in this position. Sure having kids was nice and all. Reproduction and all that jazz, but going through all of this pain? Her mom had mentioned contractions were not the most fun experience, and neither was the morning sickness she had encountered with nine months ago. Maya wasn't sure if this was going to be the best experience, and wondered if she was now going to be scarred for life.

Then she heard it. That sound. The sound of a baby crying. And Maya could feel herself getting worked up. Her little sister. That was her little sister. Maybe that feeling, the warm feeling in the pit of your stomach that made you so happy to hear that sound, Maya had changed her mind. Maybe the pain would be worth it one day. She continued to look at her mom and encourage her as she kept pushing. Once Maya could vaguely see the baby from where she was standing, Katy was now calm and in tears.

The doctor looked at Shawn. "Would you like to cut the umbilical cord?"

He nodded, and Maya kissed the top of her mothers head. "I love you, Momma."

She smiled at her oldest daughter. "I love you too, Baby Girl."

After everything was cleaned up, and the little one was in the arms of her mother, the Hunters had their family time. Baby girl, born 6 lbs, 12 oz, 19 inches long. A tiny baby. It was silent for a while, until the nurse came back in and asked for the name, so she could write it on the birth certificate. Katy and Maya looked at Shawn for his answer. "Hope," he said looking at all of his girls. "Olivia Hope Hunter." Katy leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, as the nurse made her way back out to prepare the certificate. "Because hope does exist, and because we all have each other, I'll always believe in it."

Maya, who was on the verge of tears (the absolute best kind) smiled in pure joy. Her whole life she thought that hope was for suckers, and she remembered saying that as she placed the picture of her, her mother and shawn into that time capsule, and looking at where they were now, proves that she was wrong. Hope is not for suckers. Sometimes you have to believe in the impossible, because life knows what it's doing.

After a while, the door was open for the rest of the family to come in and see the baby. Riley was back and Josh had apparently shown up during the time Katy was pushing. Cory and Topanga looked emotional, watching Shawn hold his baby girl for the first time.

He looked so happy, holding someone that was his. Maya found herself wrapping her arms around Josh's waist and he pulled her in tight for a hug, kissing the top of her head. On the other side of Josh, Riley stood and Maya reached to grab her hand and squeeze it.

There was small conversation as Topanga was giving her friend a hug and congratulating her. Cory stood close to his best friend, with one hand on his back looking at the little one. "And so?" The teacher asked.

Shawn looked at him gratefully. "Life begins."

Cory and Topanga had left shortly, and while Riley was going to stay, she thought she ought to give them all space, so she had went to go hangout with Farkle, since the night was still young, it being 7:46. Josh was going to leave them all as well, but Maya told him he could stay. So they sat on the couch, with his arm around her, and she leaned into him while they had small conversation. Katy had fallen asleep shortly after once again, due to the pain medicine she was given, and Shawn had held little Hope for a while.

"You know the night is still young, and your mom will be sleeping for a while," Shawn said. "You guys can go on your date."

While Maya was considering dinner, she looked back at her step-father. "I'm holding her at least once before leave. I'm the next person to hold her."

"If I give her to you, I'll never get her back," he retorted, jokingly.

She laughed. "I promise you'll get her back. It'll only be for a few minutes." She begged him with her expression, and he sighed giving ing in. She smiled triumphantly as Shawn lightly handed her over to Maya.

She marveled at how beautiful a little baby could be. Hope had Katy's nose and Shawn's full lips from what Maya could see. It was still undetermined to who she looked like more, she was still so little to really see. Maya didn't realize she was crying a tear fell onto the bundle.

She rocked her for a few moments, talking to her. "Hey Livvy," she gulped. "I'm Maya, your big sister. I'm gonna be the one who gets to play with you, while mom and dad here get to parent you," she giggled. "You are loved by so many people already. I'm happy I get to be apart of your life." She lightly placed a kiss to the top of her head and looked at Josh.

He smiled, lightly rubbing the top of her head, which sported a pink cap. "Hey Princess," Josh said, then he looked at the father. "Way to go Shawn. She's beautiful." He looked at Maya and smiled at her. The small thought of, _what if?_ crossed her mind. She had wondered if Josh had ever thought about this for the future. With her.

Her eyes found her fathers, who was looking at the exchange of glances between the couple and he blinked. "Okay, how about you two go get dinner." Josh chuckled and Maya joined him as they stood up together. The young woman gave her sister back to her step-father and she gave him a side hug. And just before they walked out the door, Shawn added, "And no funny business!"

Maya blushed and made sure not to look at Josh in embarrassment as they walked hand in hand out of the hospital.

* * *

Of course out of all the songs on her playlist, Bryan Adams had to start singing when she was thinking of her boyfriend. These small things always had the right timing. It's a good song and it's why she downloaded it in the first place. Her mind couldn't get Josh's voice out of her head when it came on though. He did sing it to her the night of Eric's wedding and they shared a dance.

She hummed to the chorus, and her brow furrowed swearing she could hear Josh singing it. Her mind was definitely playing with her. No, it was definitely his voice. She turned on the stool she was sitting and saw him standing, leaned into the doorway, holding two coffees. His voice was deep and soothing. This guy had some great timing, didn't he?

Her feet found the floor and she walked over to him, well she danced over to him playfully, and he chuckled. Once she reached him, she was on her toes and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"You have blue paint on your face you know that?" He asked. She looked at his own and realized that maybe the substance was still wet, because he had a spot on his cheek. She smiled, deciding not to tell him.

He handed her the coffee and she took a sip and sighed. She really needed something to drink for a while but she was really lazy and was too focused to do anything about it. "Thank you for the brew." She turned back to the canvas.

His eyes examined her work. "Wow, this looks amazing Maya."

The canvas was painted half way. It was small and one of her landscape photos for her Art 1 class. The little picture she had printed out from Farkle's printer this morning was sitting in the corner of the easel, so she could go by what she was painting. Thanks to her best genius friend and his mad photography skills, she is replicating a photo he took in Hawaii during spring break.

"Is this for your project?" He asked.

She raised her eyebrows. "You actually listen to me when I talk?" The sarcasm laced through her words, making Josh chuckle.

"Of course I do," he walked up to her, and now that she was sitting back down on the stool, he leaned over her shoulder to get a better look. "You're an amazing artist, you know that right?"

Her head lightly turned to the side and his face was centimeters from her own. Her body froze. At this point she had kissed him hundreds of times, but he still had this effect on her, just by looking at her from this close. It was the way her heart dropped to her feet, and the butterflies in her stomach went all crazy, almost as if they were caged in, trying to break free. She could feel his coffee breath on her cheek. If she had moved any closer to him, their faces would be touching. Her eyes ventured from his eyes to his lips and she lightly bit the bottom of her own. How was it possible that he could make her want so much just by looking at her?

He noticed her actions, because his forehead lightly connected with hers, and their lips barely grazed one another. He was teasing her, and she knew it too. So instead of giving in to his little game, she looked away, back at her canvas, and continued to paint. She smiled in satisfaction when she heard him sigh a tad harshly. She didn't want to initiate it. She did that too many times. It was his turn, and as much as she disliked the fact that she wasn't kissing him right now, she knew that if they started, Shawn would be up here in the middle of their make out session, because that was how great her step-fathers timing was.

Josh moved from behind her, to being the easel she was currently using. His head popped up from above the canvas and he started to wiggle his eyebrows playfully, and she tried not to laugh, but it was too darn funny. Her giggle filled the room, and he smiled, before mouthing the lyrics to You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC. Trying not to get distracted, she continued to look at her work. But in the corner of her eye, she could see him dancing, and her hand was shaking from laughing too hard.

Seeing at how pointless it was going to be to focus until he was gone, she put her paintbrush down and looked over at him, before joining him to dance. They began to sing together, and before you know it the song ended. "I thought you didn't like dancing?" Maya asked. "You told me that at the wedding and then at Prom, and now your dancing so freely now."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "I only like dancing with you and around you. I can be myself and you won't judge me for my fantastic dance moves."

Tongue in cheek, she surpassed a smile. "Oh believe me," she said, "I am judging you." Her finger pointed to her head. "In here."

He scowled playfully at her. "Boo you."

She lifted herself onto her tippy toes, and he was leaning down to meet her lips with his own, when the door opened and Shawn entered the room. Maya groaned lightly in frustration and she was back down, looking at her step-father. Timing. See?

"It's getting late and I want to lock up the place," he stated.

She looked outside and realize that it was dark out. "Oh wow," letting herself go from Josh's embrace, she began to close jars and tubes and walked over to clean the brushes. Once she was finished, she put the sheet cover over her painting, turned the music off and grabbed her bag that was laying on the ground. She met Josh and Shawn by the door.

"So you want to grab food?" Josh asked.

She nodded. "But we're stopping by the house first. I need to change and clean up."

Saying goodbye to Shawn, her step-father looked at Josh oddly for a moment and asked him, "You know you have paint on your face?"

Josh's brow furrowed in confusion, before he realized that Maya kissed him on the cheek earlier. He looked at his girlfriend, who snorted in laughter and ran off before she could say anything.

* * *

They rode a taxi back and once they were in the townhouse, they immediately walked to the bathroom in Riley and Maya's room. Josh examined the nice spot of blue paint on his cheek. "You're terrible."

"Awe come on," she pleaded. "You look so cute with paint on your face." He gave her a side look and she rephrased that. "You look sexy with paint on your face."

He chuckled, "Well maybe there will be a paint fight in the near future. You can add it to your list of projects." He started to clean up the spot and he helped clean her face too. It was sweet at how gentle he was wiping her cheeks with the rag.

"I've been in two paint fights already, and both were with Riley." She looked up at nothing in particular, the memory flashing in her head. "It took me forever to wash all of that purple out of my hair." She was about to walk back into her room when she heard a voice coming from Riley who sounded like she was talking to herself.

After Maya heard the words Lucas, she realized she must be on the phone with him. "Why now?" she asked, her tone concerning. "Maya got a text from Charlie on Saturday—after your scrimmage game." As Riley was walking into the room, Josh was about to walk out when Maya closed the bathroom door locking them in. She wanted to hear what was going on, but she knew Riley would have hung up the phone if she saw Josh. This was a conversation that needed to be had.

Josh looked confused, and Maya held a finger up to her lips as they sat quiet, hearing the brunette speak. "Lucas, I'm sorry you sprained your ankle, but you worried me by not talking to me for almost three days!" Three days? "I know," she responded to him. "I know," she said again, softer this time. "It's getting harder, Lucas. I do trust you. I always have, but even Maya and Farkle are are curious to know what's going on." She wasn't wrong. Huckleberry had hardly spoken to Maya since he left, and she was pissed because she specifically asked him to not pull away and he said he wouldn't. "Okay, I understand. Text me. Bye." No I love you? That was a first. Riley must be that mad at him.

As Maya was about to move away quietly, the sound of the door banging made her loose her balance. Josh caught her from behind. "Maya," Riley called for her. "I know you're in there." Her voice sounded upset.

The blonde slowly opened the door, revealing her and Josh to the brunette. Riley looked sad, but she mainly looked like she was frustrated. "I—"

"You don't have to say anything, Maya." She took a long hard breath. "You too Uncle Josh." She turned away from them. "How is it possible that I thought not too long ago that things wouldn't change. That our feelings wouldn't change? Because right now, just talking to him over the phone, I felt like I was having a conversation with a stranger. I know he isn't, because I know who he is and he hasn't done anything wrong. He's just busy. 24/7. And it's not going to change. He got a low grade on his Anatomy test and now his coach told him he had to make up the grade in order to play ball. He wasn't even at the scrimmage game this weekend, because he was stuck in the library studying his ass off for this next test. He was late yesterday morning and on his way down the steps of the dorms in a rush to class he rolled his ankle, so he was in the infirmary getting a splint and crutches. His phone was left on the ground, until Charlie picked it up last night." She sat on the edge of the bed. "I feel terrible because I judged him too quickly because of what's happened these last couple of weeks. But long-distance is hard and I'm not sure if I can keep it up anymore."

Josh sat down on the other side of her. "Riley, think about this. Don't decide this on a whim. Don't decide this just because your frustrated right now. You need to think long and hard about what you're considering. Because if you say the wrong thing, later down the road and you two meet again, you might regret the things you said."

"I know, and I have been thinking." She licked her lips. "Maya, you're right. This is Lucas we're talking about. He's not going to willingly hurt me. I know that. I believe that. But like Smackle, she didn't initiate anything with that Christian guy. He made a move on her and she didn't say anything. I'm afraid if something like that happens, Lucas won't open up, because he'll believe that what happened meant nothing and my feelings should be spared. That would seem he was doing something right, but that's not the point. I want to know what goes on. But I'm not there either, and I'm not going to be there." She stood up and walked over to the vanity on the wall facing the front of her bed. "It's not like he's in the military and when he comes home he's here. Or like he's gone on a trip for three months, but he'll be back. No, his life is in Texas now. My life is here in New York. Am I a bad person for wanting to break free?"

Her uncle stood up immediately. "No. That doesn't make you a bad person Riley. Being in a long-distance relationship is very difficult. Even when you're only one state away. I just want you to think about it, because if nobody tells you to think about it, and you just decide this solution on a whim and the results come back to bite you in the ass, well, you can't say that you didn't have anybody telling you to be indifferent." He wrapped her in a hug. "You're my niece and I love you. I want you to be the happiest Riley you can possibly be. I miss the smile you used to have on your face when you were little. I envied you for always looking for the best in everything."

She smiled sadly. "Sometimes I think that she's gone."

He shook his head. "She's not. She never will be. We always keep our traits, us Matthews." Josh took a breath. "She's still in there. There's just a roadblock in the way, and you'll get around it. Life's not easy and neither is navigating relationships, whether it be in your family, your friends, or romantically." He looked at Maya and gave her a side smile. "We're still young, and we're figuring it all out. Together."

Riley sat back down and put her head on Maya's shoulder. The blonde began to stroke her best friends hair. "Yeah Pumpkin, things are going to work out. Maybe not in the way you expect, but we have to be patient."

"Can we go to a party this weekend?" Riley asked. Maya looked at Josh who was rubbing his chin. They weren't sure about this. "I'm not saying I want to resort to his level, but I want to have some fun being my first year of college. And I don't think it's fair that he can go out and party with friends and I'm sitting here worried that I'm going to accidentally slip up and do something wrong."

Maya could see her boyfriend think about this. "Okay, but these parties aren't the parties you think, Riles." He said.

"Josh, you can save the explanation. Lucas and I have been to parties like these before." She looked at Maya. "All of us have."

The blonde licked her bottom lip. "Well, I of someone who might be throwing a party this weekend. But because of what happened last time, we need to have some rules and go by those rules. I don't want you to end up in a Don Schaffer situation like I did."

"So, we'll drag Farkle along," she stated.

Josh chuckled. "You think Farkle's gonna be up for that?"

Just as if it was planned, the genius him self walked into the room, carrying a small book, and a jacket. "Up for what?"

Riley stood up and gave him her best smile. "We're going to a party this weekend."

He raised his eyebrows and curiously asked, "Really?" He glanced at Maya who was trying to send him the hidden message: It was her idea. Maya could tell he was really thinking about it. He hadn't been one to like going out to parties all that much since he and Smackle split. If anything he was into his studies more than ever, like he was still competing with the lady genius. His eyes drifted back to the brunette standing in front of him, who was pleading for him to say yes. "Okay, but because of what happened last time, we need to have some rules and go by those rules. We do not need another Don Schaffer situation."

Josh shook his head looking at his girlfriend and Farkle back and forth. "Geez, it's like you're twins."

While the genius looked confused, Maya giggled. "Well, if me and Farkle are stating the same thing, which should never happen, then you know that it was a pretty bad situation." She tried not to look at all the down sides of all the anxiety and stress she went through afterwards, because it made it that much more difficult to deal with. "But still we need to be with at least one other person throughout the night."

"You're the one who ventured off, remember?" Farkle said.

She leaned up to punch him in the arm. "Because Zay left me by the staircase! For some Long Island Beaut. So I didn't walk off by myself. Plus I was in eye sight of Riley and Lucas, but it's not like I was staring at them the whole time. That would make me look creepy. You all had dates and I didn't. That was okay," she looked down. "I also thought I was a lot tougher than I was. I didn't realize how vulnerable I was." She felt the bed sink next to her, and Josh put a comforting arm around his girl. Maya glanced at her best friend. "I don't want the same thing happening to you."

Riley sighed. "I know, Peaches. So we'll stick together. And when you and Josh want to go dance and be all couple-ly, I'll hang with Farkle." She stood up and looked over at him and he nodded. "I'm ready to have a stress free weekend."

He put a hand lightly on her shoulder. "You do realize it's only Tuesday, right?"

Riley's face dropped. "Well that sucks."

Her roommates giggled, and Maya looked over at Josh who was smirking, but he was quiet. The blonde gave him a concerned look. His hand squeezed her side, letting her know that they would talk about it later, probably when they were alone. That's when they normally had their deep, serious conversations.

Maya continued to get ready for their little dinner outing, inviting Farkle and Riley along, but they denied giving the couple some time to themselves. She grabbed his arm before he left her room to give her space to change. "Is something wrong?"

He smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Nothing to worry about. Just thinking."

"That could be dangerous," she stated.

He kissed the top of her head lightly. "I promise, it's nothing." And he closed the door giving her the privacy. She bit the inside of her cheek in thought. This conversation was definitely not over with.

* * *

 **So I thought long and hard about what to name little baby Hunter. I was going to name her after someone in the story, but I really wanted her to have her own name. I hope you all like it. Also, I have a plan for the group. I really and truly don't think the group of friends would do anything to sabotage the friendship, but what's a story without some drama and difficulty. Please bare with me. I do not plan to ruin anything, but I have my preferred pairings for this specific story.**

 **(I do in fact support all ships! I've had my different seasons in who I like together, and I'm not against writing stories for other ships). I feel like this is important for me to talk about because of all the hate between people in the fandom. I would like my writing to be common ground for everyone, because I feel that all ships are important.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys have a great week! Review/Follow/Favorite! Also follow me on tumblr: blueyedpandas**

* * *

 **Preview to Next Chapter:**

 _When the words left her mouth, he almost spit up his drink that he somehow got-probably from Josh who was somewhere around here with Maya. "You want . . . want to dance with me?"_


	3. Long Island and Parties

**Sense and Sensibility**

 **A/N:** **_PLEASE READ!_** _So I know it's been a while, but finals really got to me! Plus with me posting that new story, I have been doing some writing for that. I had an idea, and I just need to write. Also, I have been working on an original story! I'm in the process of creating my story board. I'm really excited about it! So I've also bee working on that too._

 _This story doesn't have a specific goal just yet, because I'm just writing, so updates might be every two weeks. Once semester starts back up again, I will be back to my studies and writing a tad less, but I want to continue this because you guys are awesome for supporting me and my creativeness, and I love writing this story. Now that finals are finally over with, and I'm on break till the 4th, I'm gonna write as much as I can! I'm so sorry for the wait!_

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count:** 8, 599

* * *

 **Previously on S & S:**

 _Maya continued to get ready for their little dinner outing, inviting Farkle and Riley along, but they denied giving the couple some time to themselves. She grabbed his arm before he left her room to give her space to change. "Is something wrong?"_

 _He smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Nothing to worry about. Just thinking."_

 _"That could be dangerous," she stated._

 _He kissed the top of her head lightly. "I promise, it's nothing." And he closed the door giving her the privacy. She bit the inside of her cheek in thought. This conversation was definitely not over with._

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Long Island and Parties**

 **Josh**

Josh sat across the table from his girlfriend, admiring her while she glanced over the menu. He loved the fact that Maya wasn't one of those girls who barely ate on a date. Those girls were too cautious and worried about how they looked more than they should. Maya cared about how she looked, but she wasn't obsessive about it. And while she might've been more cautious in the beginning of their relationship, now they were more comfortable with each other.

Once ordering their food, she gave him a serious look. "Oh no," he said. "What did I do?"

She smirked, before her expression changed again. "What was on your mind earlier?" He wasn't sure what he he was going to say about it. "I know you said it was nothing to worry about, but I'm worried about it."

He leaned forward in his seat placing his elbows on the edge of the table. "It was just a thought. It's not something I can really change, because it already happened. I know we haven't talked about it much, but the whole Don situation still irks me. I just wish that I would have been there for you so you didn't have to go through that."

Maya's lips pursed and grabbed his hand from across the table. "I don't remember much of it and I'm grateful for that. It would be harder if I did remember every single detail. But you did help me. Right after that party happened, and mid-terms were over with, I had asked you to hang out at the cabin, because I needed someone who was willing to just sit there and talk about anything else besides my problems. Was I expecting our first kiss? No. Definitely not. But you helped eliminate the horrible, disgusted feeling I felt towards being close to anyone like that ever again. That helped."

He smiled sadly, kissing the top of her hand. He still wished that she hadn't gone through it all in the first place, but knowing that he had made a difference in the situation made him feel slightly better. "Do you remember the weekend you first met Don?"

She nodded. "Yeah, at your baseball tournament. You remember that?"

"Are you kidding?" He asked, baffled. "You were a total badass at 10 years old. It was the first time I'd ever seen the real Maya Hart in action." He stated, knowing back then she had not met Shawn yet. "I mean, I had heard stories, but I had never seen it in person before, and I was very impressed and what you did meant a lot to me."

Her cheeks were red, and she bit her lip. "Well, I did what any girl would do for the boy she liked."

* * *

 **Maya**

As they ordered their food, the blonde remembered the weekend like it were yesterday.

Josh had played baseball throughout elementary and middle school. He was good at it too. Spring break of his eighth grade year, his team had made it to the Northeastern Championship tournament in Long Island, New York. Because it wasn't too far from the city, Maya had tagged along with Riley and her family for the weekend to watch Josh play.

Being the adventurers they are, the whole Matthews clan decided to camp out at the campgrounds near the baseball fields. This included Josh's whole entire baseball team. The girls were told to stay within a certain area of the site their tents were at, but of course, Maya decided to follow the boys, dragging Riley with her. They came up to where the team gathered for s'mores and campfire music. They looked like they were having a lot of fun, and the girls wished they could be involved, but even Maya knew, they weren't supposed to be included with their team bonding time.

It being after dark, and deciding that it would look better on the girls to just go back to the tent and draw, and occupy themselves, they turned around and headed back to the campsite. Rounding a tree, the girls stumbled upon two boys wearing only the top half of their baseball uniforms, and jeans. Maya could tell they weren't apart of Josh's team, due to the fact that their jersey's had the City of New York written on it. One was hunched over a few pieces of clothing, and the other was standing guard.

"Lookie what we have here?" The hefty boy standing said. "What are you girls doing here? Aren't you supposed to be playing with your barbies?"

Maya looked at the boys, unimpressed. "Barbies? We don't play with barbies." Riley knew to stay quiet, even though she did play with those dolls.

"What are you doing?" Riley asked, attempting to sound confident like her best friend, trying to get a look of what the other two were doing on the ground. Maya could swear she smelled paint.

The hefty boy walked forward, bumping Riley, causing the clumsy girl to fall down. "That's isn't any of your business."

"Watch where you're going, you could hurt someone," Maya said, reaching her hand down to help Riley back up. Her best friend began to brush the dirt and leaves off of her pants she was wearing. Maya caught site of the jersey laying on the ground, and her anger boiled. It was a Philly's jersey.

"Like I need an eight year old to tell me what I can and can't do," he said, stepping up to the blonde, towering over her petite frame. Maya had always been short, even shorter than Riley, but she felt super small compared to this boy.

In the corner of her eye, she could vaguely see Riley ball her fists. "We're not eight. We're ten years old."

"Could have fooled me," one of the boys said as the other boys laughed. "What are you girls doing anyway? You're a little far from the camp, aren't you?" One of the boys stood dangerously close to the small brunette. Maya felt strangely worried now. These boys were bigger than them, and Riley could get hurt.

Riley spotted the jersey and looked at Maya with eyes wide. "JOSH!" She screamed, the boy latching on to her, covering her mouth. She squirmed to get away but she couldn't.

Maya stepped forward. "Let her go!" The hefty boy by Maya grabbed her arms from behind, making it hard for her to move.

As she was squirming, demanding the boy to let her go, she heard a voice. "Riley? Maya?" The blonde glanced up, and Josh stood there with a few of his team mates. He looked startled, before registering what was going on.

Josh stepped forward. "Let my niece and her friend go, Monti and Donny." Clearly they knew each other. And the dislike was strong between them. Maya liked to see Josh getting defensive, then she felt guilty. It was her idea to follow the boys out. She got Riley into this mess.

"I didn't know you were an uncle, Matthews?" Monti snarled in Riley's ear.

"Yeah. So?" He asked, wondering why it was such a big deal.

"Aren't you a little young to be an uncle?" asked the boy holding Maya. "Were you a mistake? A baby that wasn't supposed to happen?" If there was talking among the group, there wasn't anymore. The only sound came from the wind blowing through the trees, and the cracking of sticks and leaves each time one of the boys moved.

"Why would you say that?" Maya said, anger boiling up inside of her.

"Don't Maya," he warned. "Let them go," Josh said in clenched teeth.

"Why should we? They need to learn to mind their own business." Donny said. Maya, who couldn't mover her arms, looked down at her feet and thanked her mother for finding her combat boots. She kicked her foot back, trying to aim for his leg, but clearly hit something else. She fell forward, and landed on the ground. Josh came forward to help her up.

Once on her feet she turned to Donny. "Josh isn't a mistake!" Her voice called out in a shrill tone. "And I should kick you again for trying to ruin their uniforms." Her feet moved forward, but Josh wrapped his arms around the blonde from behind, but not in a harsh way, more of a calming way. She looked over towards Monti, and left Josh's embrace. "Let her go," Maya said. "Before I do the same to you." She glanced over her shoulder at Donny, who was doubled over in pain.

Monti let go of Riley, and she brushed herself off once again. Then she turned to the boy behind her and kicked him in the shin. The boys from Philly looked stunned. So did Maya. Riley glanced at her best friend, and said, "What? He deserved it." The two boys ran off, leaving their bags.

Maya knew Riley was going to be kicking herself later for harming someone, but Maya was proud of her pumpkin. Maya looked at the jersey lying on the ground. Riley picked up the bag, and gave it to Josh. "They were trying to spray paint your uniforms, Josh."

He sighed. Maya couldn't tell if he was trying to process what had just happened or if he was upset. He opened the bag, and sure enough, there were all of the jerseys. They each were taking them out and passing their number back.

Maya picked up the jersey laying by her foot, that was already slashed in blue. Number 23. MATTHEWS was written on the back. Josh approached her and she looked at him. "I'm sorry about your jersey. Will you be able to play?"

He bit his lip, examining the jersey pretty hard. "Maybe. You know Hart, that was pretty impressive."

Under different circumstances, she probably would have blushed, but she was hardly thinking about that. "I'm sorry for getting Riley into trouble," Maya put her head down. "I shouldn't have dragged her out here."

He smiled. "Maya, I'm not going to get on to you. I'm not that much older and it's not my place." He chewed on the inside of his cheek. Maya had learned that this was his thinking face. "What were you doing out here anyway?"

Her eyes looked everywhere else but him. "We followed you and your friends to the bon fire," she felt guilty of following.

Riley, who was now standing beside her again said, "We were only wanting to know what you were doing. We're sorry if we caused any trouble."

He shook his head. "Those guys are jerks." The few boys who were standing with Josh were now heading back to the fire. "You want to join us? We're having s'mores."

The girls smiled, before looking sad again. "We don't want to bother you guys."

He laughed. "Are you kidding, you two saved our uniforms."

"Except yours," Maya said.

He shrugged. "Someone's got to take the mess. Why not me? Seriously, come hang out with us." The girls followed him willingly. "I do want you both to know that you have to be careful out here in the dark. It can be dangerous."

"We're sorry," Riley said.

"Don't apologize for everything, Riles. Besides, that kick was awesome." He raised his hand for a high-five. "And Maya, remind me never to get on your bad side." She smiled as she followed him to the glow of the fire outside of the trees. She might not have known it at the time, but the little flutter in her stomach was a lot more than just an adrenaline rush. And when the boy with blue eyes would glance at her from behind, Maya knew, it would take a lot for him to step foot on her bad side.

* * *

Josh played with Maya's fingers. "I will still always be impressed by that. No matter if you were ten years old and I was thirteen. Back then, I never looked at the age difference. You were just Maya Hart, Riley's best friend. I knew that it wasn't my place to get on to you, because that was an adults job."

"When did you start looking at the age difference?" Maya asked curiously.

He smiled. "You're first Christmas with us in New York. It was the moment I saw you as more than just Riley's best friend. And because I began to feel this way, I knew me, being sixteen years old, should not be feeling this way towards you, as of that moment. So blaming it on age difference was all I could do, because I never wanted to turn you down."

"And all that time, I honestly thought there was something about me that you didn't like." She giggled. "I always tried different way to impress you or for you to notice me each time you were around."

He shook his head. "Maya, I've loved the person you are since the weekend at the baseball tournament. You defended me, and helped Riley. Your true character was shown and I noticed. I noticed every time you did something new. Even the small things. Plus, you were always there for me, and knew exactly what to say when nobody else didn't. You also know when something is bothering me, no matter how small it is. I thought I was good at reading people, but you're better."

"I'm only so good when my feelings aren't clouding my mind. If I had been so good at reading you years ago, I would have caught on that you liked me." She took a sip of her Arnold Palmer.

"Even being as young as you were, we had a deep conversation not long after the tournament." She looked at him, confused. "My mom's birthday?"

The realization flickered across her face. It had only bee a few months after the tournament. She liked to think that was the moment she had become aware of what it was like to like someone more than just a friend.

* * *

When Riley and her parents had taken a trip to Philadelphia for Mrs. Amy's 55th birthday party, Maya tagged along. After the long party, and everyone went to bed, the small blonde tip toed down stairs to get something to drink. Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, Maya heard a noise coming from the living room.

She rounded the corner, and found Josh sitting on the couch watching television. She stood at the opposite end from where he was sitting and waited for him to acknowledge her. Maya wasn't one to just invite herself to sit down . . . okay, maybe that was a tiny lie. She wasn't going to do that to Josh. She had yet to find her confidence with him. (That wouldn't be till later on).

Once spotting her, he smiled, gesturing for her to join, so she did. He didn't really take his eyes off the screen. Maya examined his face. She was good at catching details, and figuring people out. Josh seemed upset. Though he had a smile on his face earlier, Maya could tell something was bothering him. It was written in his eyes.

"Are you okay, Josh?" She asked.

He looked at her, almost confused, but then sighed. "It's stupid."

She bit the inside of her lip. "I'm sure it's not." She wanted to know, but didn't want to push it out of him. She hated when people did that to her. "You don't have to tell me, but sometimes it's nice to have someone to talk to. I should know." She mumbled the last sentence. People had told her so many times that it was nice to have someone to talk to. That only person had been Riley.

He pushed the mute button on the remote. "My mom is now fifty-five. I'm thirteen, and known as the mid-life-crisis child. I was a surprise." Maya had recalled the night of the camping trip. "I'm sometimes bullied because my parents aren't young like they were when my siblings were growing up. I'm told that I'll always be an outcast, because I'm so much younger. I'm always going to be a pain in the butt, because my parents are getting too old to be chasing a son around. Sometimes I feel like Donny was right. I—"

"Stop." Maya said. "I know I'm only ten and you have three more years on me, but I promise you that you're not a mistake. Donny's stupid. And bullies? They just can't see how great you are." She sighed, before continuing. "My dad left me and my mom, and I was bullied, well still am bullied sometimes because people say that my dad didn't care about me, and that he probably wishes I had never happened, because maybe he would've stayed with my mom if I wasn't born. It hurts. But, I have my mom who loves me, and does everything she can to make me happy. I also have your family. They're pretty great. Including your mom and dad. You'll never be an outcast, with your family? I've never met anyone like your family."

Josh actually chuckled at that. "Thanks Maya. Bullies are alway going to be there, and most of the time, I deal with it, and it doesn't bother me, but I have my moments, where it does, because I can be weak. You know, you have a lot of people who care about you too. You're dad is really missing out on someone pretty great." Maya knows that was the moment she had developed a crush on him. They had spent the rest of the night watching sitcoms until they had both fallen asleep on the couch, slumped over on each side.

* * *

 **Josh**

They ate their first bites in silence as they both recalled the memory. The conversation had been short, but he knew that for her to open up to him like that about her dad, was something to be honored by. Later on, he was told that she hardly ever brought up her father in a conversation. She only talked to Riley about him. He felt ashamed that he had said anything to her because she was going through something far worse than he was. His family loved him, and showed the love to him everyday. Being bullied back then was just an insecurity.

She on the other hand, wasn't dealing with just an insecurity. Because she had been hurting over the fact that it was true. Why else would her dad have left her? It was terrible to think about, and overtime Josh looked at Maya, the thought of _how could someone not love her?_ ran through his mind. She was genuine and beautiful inside out. When she spoke, whether it be sweetly or said sarcastically, she was never mean or cruel to anyone. The only time she ever was is if you pissed her off, but even during all the legal meetings and stuff going on relating to her accident, she was calm and collected. She wasn't the same girl, but she was professional, despite the hardships.

"You're amazing, you know that right?" His voice was soft.

He could see the blush rise in her cheeks. Though being in a relationship with her for a little while now, and while most couples had surpassed the exciting stage by now, he still got excitement from having an affect on her, or whenever she would tease him, or lightly run her foot up his leg. The jitters he received every time he was with her, was everything compared to how he felt in the past with other girls.

Eric said that's what happens when you're falling in love with someone. The thought of that kept him up at night, not in a terrible way, but the best way. The full teeth smile plastered across his face when he stared at his ceiling at night, and the longing to see her again the next day. He sometimes reached out in the middle of the night, wishing she was right there, because all he wanted to do was hold her.

It was the little things that made their relationship the best. In the silent moments, where no verbal sounds were made, but a conversation was held in the irises alone. Blue against blue. The actions, like squeezing hands, forehead kisses, and wrapping his arms around her. Then in random times, where nothing made sense, he would say something like this, or she would do the same. It was a reminder, and something to keep each other going, no matter if their day was a breeze, or all they wanted to do was go hide under a rock.

"I adore you," she said, just like she did right before he kissed her for the first time. Or maybe she kissed him, he couldn't remember who leaned in first.

He sat back in the booth, and looked at her in admiration. He could have left the restaurant right then, but he continued to eat his pasta until he was full. They grabbed boxes and their waitress left them the bill. They had a mini argument over how she wanted to help contribute, but he wouldn't let her, no matter how she chastise him about it.

Josh walked her home, and he wished that he was able to drive his motorcycle. It was a cool night and it was only getting colder as the days passed on. His hand found hers and she intertwined their fingers like muscle memory, her head tilting up slightly to look at him.

Her townhouse wasn't far from where they ate. More like down the road. He was still deciding whether or not he wanted to get a taxi to his place or if he would just walk. They ascended the steps up to her front door, and she fiddled with her keys to open it. She offered for him to come in, but he knew that he couldn't, because he would have stayed a lot longer than he couldn't. He had to be up early for work, and though he enjoyed his job, there was still that resistance that he couldn't be out to late with his girl. He needed to get sleep, because if he didn't the next day would be a lot longer than he would like.

"So, we'll meet up at Topanga's to study tomorrow night?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I've got a test on Friday. I'll definitely need to be studying for that." He wrapped his arms around her waist and she linked her own around his neck. "Goodnight, Gorgeous."

She lifted herself up on her tippy-toes to kiss him sweetly. It was one of those lingering kisses that said _no don't leave_ , but she knew he had to go. She pulled back, but catching his lower lip softly between her teeth before parting completely. "Goodnight, Handsome." Her hand squeezed his once more before she walked into the house.

* * *

 **Farkle**

Numbers. Numbers and letters. Letters and signs. Signs and more numbers. It was the never ending cycle of formulas and solving problems. At least that was the challenge this morning, as he took one of his exams. Just as he wrote the last number on the paper, he leaned back in his seat, taking a deep breath, finally looking up at the clock. He had been sitting there for an hour, and like always, he was the first one done. His eyes scanned the paper once more, making sure there were no infractions before going to turn it in.

As he walked out the class door, he checked his phone that he had turned on silent, before sitting in his seat earlier. One text from Maya, letting him know she drank the rest of the milk this morning before she left for class. Another was from Riley, who sent a meme to him and then a screen shot of a joke Zay had sent her. And the last was from his mom, who was reminding him about a dinner she had planned for tomorrow night. If only there was a way to get out of that one.

The last thing he want to deal with in the middle of the weekend was his parents acting like everything was okay between them, when really they were falling down the deep end, and Farkle was just barely hanging on the edge of the cliff by his fingertips. Nobody knew. He had promised that he wouldn't say anything. So now, he wasn't only lying to himself, but Riley and Maya, the two closest people to him.

His phone began ringing, and he looked down and spotted the name: Smackle. His eyebrows scrunched together. Why was she calling him during the day? He answered. "Hey Smack."

"Hey Farkle," she greeted. "I have a few minutes to talk, and I needed to call for a small favor?" It was good to hear her voice. It had been a while since they held a conversation besides texting.

"Um, uh yeah. What's up?" He wasn't sure how to talk to her now. She had been gone for a while and apart from each others lives, it was strange talking to her again, especially since they've now broken up.

He could hear the wind blowing in her speakers. "Sorry, if you can't hear me very well. The weather isn't the best today. But I thought about calling Jane, but I really wanted to ask you, because we're friends. We're still friends right?" Her tone sounded unsure and he was not alone in noticing the awkwardness.

"Yes, of course." Farkle was impressed at how confident he sounded. "Why call Jane?" The woman irked him. She was his dad's secretary. His assistant. Rude and always trying to control Farkle when he came around the business. Which was why he avoided the office at all costs. He heard her mumble, but he guessed it was the wind again. "Say that agin."

"I didn't want to call Jane. She's a shrew and I knew that if I had asked her to give a message to your dad, she would only throw the note away." She had a point. Jane had some problems with Mr. Stuart's family and friends. "I was wondering if he would sponsor one of the events here in D.C.? Your dad's company is very popular, and if he was one of the sponsors, he'd receive recognition in the science division here in Washington and the NASA program as well. My dad is one of the sponsors, but he doesn't run multibillion dollar company like yours does."

Farkle had to admit that was pretty cool. "I'm actually going to be having dinner with him tomorrow. I'll definitely talk to him about it. Email me the paperwork, and if he agrees, I'll get him to sign everything. Jane won't do shit."

"Thank you. So, how is everything?" He wasn't expecting her to continue the conversation.

He sighed. "Um, nothing much, just work and school. The usual around here." He bit his lip, crossing the road, heading for the subway. "Listen, we don't have to do the whole how are you thing. I know you're only doing that as formality."

"So I can't genuinely ask how you are doing?" She stated. "I know things went sour between us, but I still care about you Farkle. You hear that? I care. You helped me with that. I know we're not dating, and the romantic feelings aren't there, but I really do miss you. I'm sorry that you're still upset with me."

He thought about it. He still loved her. It was hard for him to fall out of love with her, because they were close and he learned things about her that nobody knew, but she was right. The romantic feelings, that excitement he used to feel when he was with her had faded. Because he forced it out during their separation. That didn't mean that he didn't care for her anymore, because he did. "I'm sorry. It's just strange talking to you over the phone. I didn't mean to snap. I know Riley and Maya miss you too." He couldn't say that he missed her himself.

Either she had thought about questioning him, or understood and decided to let it go. "I miss them too. How are they? Every time I get into a texting conversation with Riley, it's only for a few minutes, then she's back to work. And Maya is the same."

"Yeah, Riley's been helping Katy at the bakery, since Olivia was born. So between that, and school hours, then she comes home to study, it's hard to get a word in with her. Maya's very similar. When she's not in class, she's at the record shop, then she heads to her parents building where she works on her project in Shawn's studio office. Then she's with Josh when they have free time, because he's always working to." He took a breath. "Adulting is hard."

She chuckled. "I feel you." He sounded like she was eating something. "I'm on my lunch break right now, then I have a meeting in the lab."

"Well, I'm fixing to walk underground, so I'm gonna lose you. I'll let you get back to your break, and I'll talk to my dad tomorrow." He stated.

She coughed. "Alright. Thank you, Farkle."

"Have good weekend, Izzy." He hadn't called her that since before graduation.

"You too," and she ended the call.

* * *

Hours later, Farkle had been talking with a few people from Columbia by the staircase, while a hoard of people danced around the living room of the very nice mansion, right outside of the city. Music blared and he could hardly hear a word anyone was saying. Riley was in his line of sight talking to Darby, who was one of the sorority girls attending NYU. She had gave Farkle a wave, but he continued on hearing the ramble George Freeland was giving on something he saw on the news.

Farkle was bored. Last party like this, he was with Smackle, dancing the night away. It wasn't until his brunette best friend showed up with a smile on her face, and a glimmer in her eyes, asking him a question, when his night started to be a bit less boring. "Dance with me," she grabbed his hand.

When the words left her mouth, he almost spit up his drink that he somehow got-probably from Josh who was somewhere around here with Maya. "You want . . . want to dance with me?"

She giggled. "Yes." And he raised his eyebrows asking her what she was doing. "Look, Lucas isn't here, I know, but I want to dance and you are my best friend. Maya is with Josh somewhere and I want to dance." Her expression was pouty and pleading. Being still at a height where we was tall than her, she whispered in his ear. "There is also that creepy ass guy from my Humanities class who keeps following me around the like a puppy dog."

He then understood what she was asking. He squeezed her petite hand and she dragged him out onto the floor. While they danced he asked her to point out the guy that had been following her around. Once spotting him, Farkle could see why he was labeled as creepy. His dark mysterious vibe gave an uncomfortable feeling in the air, and he had been staring right at them.

Farkle looked away, twirling Riley around, causing her to bust out into a fit of giggles. He missed seeing her laugh like that. It had been a long time. Before Lucas left. Before they started having their problems. The genius knew more than he led on, because he knew Riley like the back of his hand. He'd spent enough time in these last few months living with her, getting to know the details of his best friend. He might have known Maya just as much, but she spent a lot of time with Josh, which was understandable.

But Riley was different when it came to Farkle, whether he'd like to admit it or not. He clicked with her unlike any person in his whole life, and for a while it was hard to accept because he was dating Smackle. Farkle liked to believe their connection was just strong enough as best friends, because he knew that's all they were ever going to be. It didn't matter if he was having these feelings slightly. Only slightly, because he would normally push it away. She had Lucas. And right now he wasn't happy with Lucas.

The cowboy was truly his best friend, but he was distant, even in their Senior year they had slowly been drifting apart. Farkle connected with Zay more and even considered to be closer to him. It all made him upset, because he'd known Lucas since the seventh grade, and the Lucas then, compared to the Lucas now was different. Yeah, he'd grown up, but Farkle was critical and observed more so than others because he's a scientist. That's what he does. He might just be looking at the situation too hard, but Farkle's nerves were ticking, and he wasn't prepared for the outcome if this relationship falls between Riley and Lucas.

His thoughts drifted, as the song slowed down, and Riley clasped her hand in his left one, while his right rested high on her waist, being respectful to her as a taken woman. The conversation with her boyfriend last night was different from all their other calls.

 _"So, you guys are going out this weekend?" Lucas asked, his expression blurry over the FaceTime call._

 _Farkle nodded, as he stacked books on his bookshelf. "Yeah, we all haven't got out of the house in a while. Been so caught up in work and school to hang out. This is the first Friday in a while that we are all free at the same time." He didn't know if he should bring up the fact that it was Riley's idea in the first place, and she might have been acting this way because she wasn't receiving enough attention from the guy she loved._

 _"Stay close to Riley please. I know Maya has Josh to watch out for her, but I'm not there and we don't need another Don Schaffer situation." Lucas sighed. "She's also upset with me. We got into an argument, which seems to be the only way we communicate these days." Farkle had no idea what to say to that, only because all he wanted to do was chew the guy out for making the situations at parties he attended to look bad. "I just wish things were normal again."_

 _He turned to look at the camera. "That's just it. Nothing is going to be normal again. The only way that would happen is if you were back in New York, going to school with her, but you're not. You have to think about this Lucas. Long distance is hard, and you know it. You have to decide what is best for the both of you."_

 _"Has she talked to you?" He asked. "Has she said something to you about our relationship?"_

 _"You mean, has she confided in me? Sure. That's what me and Maya are here for. She's frustrated Lucas. Because she loves you but being apart is hard." He looked down. "I'm not going to tell you what to do Man, but you and her need to have a long conversation that is way overdue, and you need to talk about your feelings. That used to be something you guys were great at. You love each other. Bottling up these emotions are going to eventually put a rift in in your relationship."_

 _Lucas nodded. "You're right." There was commotion in the background on his side and Charlie showed up. "We've got to go. I guess it doesn't matter if I have a sprained ankle or not, I'm having to go watch the game."_

 _"Okay, text me." Farkle nodded at the camera for Charlie. The genius wasn't sure about that guy still, but he believes that it's just old news that was bothering him._

 _"Will do. Talk to you later, Man." and he ended the conversation._

"What are you thinking about?" Riley asked.

He hand't realized he'd been so deep in thought. He shook his head. "It's nothing." She gave him a look that told him it wasn't nothing. Not wanting to bring up the conversation about Lucas, he searched his thoughts quickly for something else. "I talked to Smackle today."

Her eyes searched his own, and bit his tongue, because he knew she was deciding whether or not he was lying to her. "Yeah?" Her tone was unknown. Either she was going to drop it, or she was still deciding.

So he continued to go along with his thought. "It's weird talking to her over the phone. It's like nothing has changed between us, but everything has." They both moved at a slow pace. He could tell she was having a nice time tonight, but he knew her too well. She was still bothered by the reason she had decided to go out. "So, the night isn't like you imagined it? You expected to come out, get drunk, take a photo with a guy and have it posted to get your boyfriend jealous?"

"No," she mumbled. "I wish I had a drink right now, but I know how I am with alcohol and I'm afraid something bad will happen."

"You do know that I'm here to make sure nothing bad happens, right? And Josh will kick anybody's ass if somebody, other than me touches you inappropriately." She gave him a look, and he redirected his statement. "Not that I'm going to touch you—you know what I meant." She started to laugh.

They stopped dancing and she dragged him to the table filled with drinks. Maya and Josh were already over there, looking like the badass couple they were. They both sported leather looks. Maya had on a red and black plaid skirt, with see through black tights underneath. She wore a black long sleeve shirt with a white collar that was tucked into her skirt. Her shoes were platform heels that gave her some height. Her hair was mostly messy curls, but in the front on the right side, she had a loose braid. Josh had on dark jeans, combat boots, a white v-neck and his leather jacket.

Maya smiled happily and walked around the table to meet her best friends. She wrapped an arm around both of them. "I'm so happy we went out tonight. I love you both so much!" She kissed both of their cheeks and Farkle took a glance at Josh.

He put his hands up in defense. "I told her not to go for the vodka, but she also ended up stealing my drink."

"Are you taking care of her tonight?" Riley said. "Or should I say tomorrow? Because we all know she's going to wake up miserable."

Her uncle nodded. "Of course I am. She can stay with me. You need to relax my niece. This is what you wanted to do. You're idea. Now, being the uncle that I am, I should tell you that you should be careful, but I'm acting as your upperclassman college buddy tonight and I'm giving you this drink, because you need to let go of your worries, because Farkle is here to make sure you don't do anything dumb. And we will both kick asses if it comes down to it." Josh handed the red solo cup to Riley and patted Farkle's shoulder. "In the past, he might not have been much, but boxing with him the other day told a completely different story."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, Freckle totally killed it on the rink!" The genius rolled his eyes. The sport was to blow off some steam, and when he wanted a different workout, other than basic cardio and living weights. The blonde looked at Riley. "Dude had abs now."

Josh pulled Maya off her two best friends and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I've got this one. You have fun Riles. Because tomorrow you face the world again." And with that, she took a huge gulp of the substance.

She handed some to Farkle, and he took a sip. It was a tad fruity for his liking, but he was only going to be sipping. One of them needed to be sane. Especially since it was Riley who was supposed to be letting loose. And let loose is what she did. By her third glass, she was feeling it from what Farkle could see. The glazed look in her brown hues, but the sparkle that they contained with every giggle that slipped off her tongue.

Out of the hundreds of people in the house, some were yelling wildly, some throwing themselves at people, even people making out everywhere. But Riley was attached to no one, moving to the beat of her own drum. Farkle was enchanted by the way her features seemed to soften, and look less hard as they did when she was deep in thought about something that she had no control of. He remembered how goofy she used to act when she was younger, but how woman-like she acted now.

Her violet dress wasn't so tight that it was hugging her figure, but you could definitely see that she had one. The dress wasn't too short, but it definitely showed off her nice legs. Riley was known to have the sexiest legs back in high school. She now looked like a model, and after she became comfortable in her own body, she wasn't afraid to be bold. Dating a hot guy, like Lucas probably helped her gain confidence.

Farkle moved to the music himself, but kept an eye on the girl standing ten feet in front of him. He glanced over at the table full of drinks when he caught eyes with this girl with short, dirty-blonde hair and green eyes. She looked like a Senior in college and winked at him. He got this a lot, due to his new found good looks and mysterious vibe he seemed to let off to people. He didn't understand why he was found to be mysterious, but maybe it was because he was just quiet.

He looked away and back at Riley who found a dancing partner in Darby. The blonde was like a hippy-child, always wearing floral everything. Soon Maya had joined them, and together they were having fun.

Josh nudged him. "What's your take on the situation? Just between you and me?" His friendship with Josh had grown in the last year, and Farkle couldn't be more grateful to have a guy friend around.

"I don't know how I feel about it exactly. All I really want is for them to work it out as friends in the end. We were all so close and now it feels like we're all drifting for reasons we shouldn't be. I used to think highly of Lucas, but he's in Texas, and we don't know the full story and his decisions are hurting my best friend. She deserves more than what Lucas is putting out to her."

Josh nodded. "I agree. Lucas is good guy and we keep saying that, because of the kind of guy he was here, but he is in a different state now, and I know it's only been a few months, but the environment you live in, changes you. I was not the same person in Philly that I was here in New York. I'm a different person because of the people I hang out with. You guys, as a group, changed me. Andy, Jazzy, and Charlie changed me. Quickly I might add. Life lesson, you said it yourself in your grad speech. People change people. Cory's motto. Just because you changed Lucas here in New York, doesn't mean the people in Texas can't change him again. He's there for four years." He looked in the direction of Riley and Maya. "And in all honesty—and this opinion stays between you and me—" His tone was serious and Farkle nodded. "I wish the guy would break things off with Riley, spare her feelings, and sleep around a little to realize he had it good with this one, and see whether or not my niece can find someone who is willing to go the distance and treat her like she's supposed to be treated. Because you're right, we don't know what's really going on in Texas, but every college is similar, and the environment is the same, and I'm four years in to the life, and have seen all kinds of different situations. That's coming from her uncle."

Farkle was amazed at how Josh could switch gears so quickly. Twenty minutes ago he was upperclassmen college buddy, handing Riley a drink, telling her to have fun, and now he was serious uncle who only wanted the best for his niece. "I think Lucas does need to learn that he's missing out. You'd think after four years of being in a relationship with her, he'd known that he had a good woman."

Josh was about to make a comment on that, but the girls showed up. Riley stumbled into Farkle, who had to stabilize her. He looked down at her heel boost she was wearing. They didn't have much grip, did they?

"Let's get more to drink, and play pong!" Riley said. The boys glanced a teach other and nodded. They would continue the conversation another time. "Me and Maya against Farkle and Josh!"

The upperclassmen college buddy smirked at the genius. "This should interesting."

After two games, the girls kept stumbling and laughing to hard to make a good shot, that it became Farkle and Riley against Maya and Josh. It was funny to see the girls try and concentrate on making a shot. Once Maya had got one in, Riley had forgotten that they were no longer on the same team, because she walked to the side of the table to give her a hug. "That was so good!"

Maya nodded, with a goofy smirk on her face. Farkle was trying really hard to contain his laughter, and so was Josh. Each time Riley had made a shot, her face would light up, and it seemed like the outside world wasn't within reach. The game continued on, and Josh and Maya ended up winning by two cups. Let's face it, Josh was more experienced at the game than anyone else.

It was about 1 AM by the time Josh had suggested he get Maya home, considering she looked like she could pass out at any minute. On the way down the stairs, he saw Riley laughing at something Darby was telling her in the hall by the bathrooms. Farkle caught sight of that Dillon kid once again by the entrance of the hall, and he started making his way towards Riley. The genius began to slide down the stairs, but he was too late when Dillion whispered something into Riley's ear.

Farkle approached, but his best friend couldn't see him. "Uhh . . ." the sound that came from her lips were unsure.

Dillon shrugged. "What do you say, Princess? Let's get out of here."

That ignited the flame in Farkle. He reached out to put a hand on the guys shoulder. "To hell she's going anywhere with you."

Riley turned around and her eyes widened. "Farkle!" She collided with him in an embrace. "I was . . . was just going to loooooook for you." She looked at him in panic, though her words were slurred. Even drunk, she was still able to tell the guy was a creep. She stood on her tippy toes to whisper in his ear. "Can weeee . . . we goo . . . go home now?" Her eyes drooped a little bit.

He nodded, holding her steadily to make sure she wasn't going to fall over. Dillon gave Farkle a glare that probably would have incinerated him on the spot if he could. Farkle guided Riley out the door and they began walking down the street, after a while they stopped. "Let me call a taxi. You're unstable and in heels. I would carry you on my back, but you're in a dress as well. I don't think you want you're underwear to be showing."

Riley blinked, looking at him with a glazed look. She lifted up her dress slightly and Farkle panicked, until he realized she was wearing spandex underneath. He let out the breath he was holding, and smirked. He turned around and offered for her to hop on, and she did swiftly. She wasn't that hard to carry. In fact, she was light.

Two more blocks and they were back home. Setting Riley down, and unlocking the door, they walked in and he helped her discard her jacket. She sat down in one of the chairs in the foyer and he also helped her with her shoes. She then sat there for a moment, with a look of exhaustion and something else, but he didn't put a finger on in until her eyes widened and she shot out of the chair, stumbling her way to her room and in the bathroom.

Farkle quickly followed, hoping that she was okay. And the sight of her puking everything she was drinking into the porcelain bowl was enough for him to know she wasn't. He held her hair back, feeling bad, thinking to himself, how much did she really drink. He that she had three while dancing, but she's had more alcohol than that before and she never puked her guts out. Unless . . . Pong. She had taken a few gulps because that's what the game entailed, but she could have gotten side tracked and stole a few more sips without them knowing.

After she was done, he made her a glass of water and gotten the ibuprofen to take to her, but once entering her room again, she was sprawled out on her bed, not even under the covers. He placed the h2o and the medicine on her night stand and moved her to where she was in a more comfortable position and where he could put her covers on top of her. His thumb lightly grazed her cheek before he left her room, keeping her door open, and heading up the stairs to get himself ready for bed.

He had just got out of the shower, and put his basketball shorts on, heading for the drawer in his room to grab a t-shirt when he heard a door slam downstairs. He ran down the steps t-shirt in hand and into Riley room to find the bathroom door closed. He knocked before opening the door. The dreadful look on Riley's face made his heart clench. "I think there was something more than just alcohol in what I was drinking," she said.

She was still wearing her dress. So he handed her his NASA t-shirt. "Why don't you get into something more comfortable and I make you something to eat. It might help."

After a minute of thinking, she nodded, taking the t-shirt gratefully. He made his way out of the room and into the kitchen. The sound of her throwing up again made him feel terrible.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Again, I'm so sorry for the wait. It's been a long two weeks and full of so many different things that have been keeping me busy. I didn't want this chapter to be too dramatic, but I wanted Riley's night to be fun, but I also wanted her to lear a lesson too. I hope I didn't disappoint. If you guys would like me to add anything, let me know! Send me a PM or write it in a review!_

* * *

 **Preview to next chapter:**

 _"Babysitting?" Josh asked. "A three month old?" He wasn't sure about this. Yes, he could understand why Maya was watching her little sister, but why she had asked him to tag along. This was definitely more of Riley's thing._


	4. Inevitable

_Dear my lovely readers,_

 _I know_ _I was supposed to have this up a few days ago, but when receiving the news about Disney cancelling the show, I couldn't find myself to write the last bit of the chapter. My thoughts were everywhere. I can't express to you all how much this show meant to me. I know it meant a lot to you as well, being the avid readers of fan fiction and writing them yourselves. We are dedicated and I'm proud of how each and every single person is coming together to fight for the movement of Networks. It's incredible how we in numbers can voice our opinion and speak out about what's important to us. We have true loyalty and I can only imagine how proud and honored Sabrina, Rowan and the others must feel about their fans, because I know for a fact that they have seen what we are doing, because how could they not? Netflix is hearing our cry. I don't know much about Hulu, but I'm sure they could hear us too._

 _This is the fist Disney show in this generation of kids to give a story, teaching life lessons that you rarely see on television anymore. The others might be funny, but they are full of comic relief, when kids should be learning as well. This show was really important, talking about how people change others, focusing on the subjects of friendship, disorders, depression, loss of family, and love. I can't believe this all started with me just babysitting my little cousin. I grew up watching the reruns of Boy Meets World. My parents eventually bought all seven seasons on DVD. Though I had not grown up in the generation (being a kid) while this show has been airing, I'm still learning a lot about life and have received many of the lessons taught. I was blessed enough to have teacher like Cory Matthews in my Senior year of high school. He related everything to what was going on in our lives and felt that was the best way we would learn the material. I had mentioned calling him Feeny once (because I knew that he would probably know BMW better than GMW) and he thought that was a very honoring compliment. I thought it was cool that I had a reference to one of the shows in my life. I'm also blessed to have a blonde in my life who is the Maya to my Riley. It has always been us against the world._

 _I can only hope that another network, such as Netflix or Hulu continue the series (not just pick up the next season as the show ends). Riley's world had just begun and if something happens to where the show is over for good, I hope that in my writing, I continue to tell a story you all approve of._

 _Thank you,_

 _Amanda - Blue Eyed Pandas_

 **GO TO MY PROFILE FOR THE LINK TO THE PETITION TO MOVE GMW TO NETFLIX!**

 **WE ALSO NEED TO EMAIL DISNEY ABOUT RELEASING THE RIGHTS OF GMW TO NETFLIX!**

* * *

 **Sense and Sensibility**

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count:** 7,371

 **Previously on S & S:**

 _He had just got out of the shower, and put his basketball shorts on, heading for the drawer in his room to grab a t-shirt when he heard a door slam downstairs. He ran down the steps t-shirt in hand and into Riley room to find the bathroom door closed. He knocked before opening the door. The dreadful look on Riley's face made his heart clench. "I think there was something more than just alcohol in what I was drinking," she said._

 _She was still wearing her dress. So he handed her his NASA t-shirt. "Why don't you get into something more comfortable and I make you something to eat. It might help."_

 _After a minute of thinking, she nodded, taking the t-shirt gratefully. He made his way out of the room and into the kitchen. The sound of her throwing up again made him feel terrible._

 _This was going to be a long night._

* * *

 **Chapter 4: I't Time to ...**

 **Josh**

It had been two weeks since the party, and Josh had a full schedule. Traveling with the company was an awesome experience. Being able to go to different places around the US and not just work, but to visit and explore was fun, but he only wished Maya could go with him. He understood that that she had a full schedule of classes and probably wouldn't be able to do much outside the city until the majority of her credits were out of the way.

Josh was sitting on the plane from Seattle waiting to take off talking to his girlfriend on the phone. "I get off late so we can hang out tomorrow? I know you said you didn't work or have class, and I don't work so we'll be able to spend the whole day together," he said, while glancing down the aisle for Dave, his partner in crime.

She sighed on the other line, and he hoped that everything was alright. "I would love to spend the whole day with you, but I told my mom that I would watch Liv tomorrow morning while Cassidy is at school."

"Cassidy?" He asked, when he spotted the blond man about twelve rows up, flirting with the red-headed flight attendant.

He could hear Maya chewing what ever she was eating. "The girl who lives right down the hall from my parents. She's a high schooler who has a babysitting job on the side. So I'll be at my parents till she gets off." Josh moved over to the window seat for a couple to sit next to one another. "You know, you could come over and hang out while I babysit."

"Babysitting?" Josh asked. "A three month old?" He wasn't sure about this. Yes, he could understand why Maya was watching her little sister until the babysitter returned, but why she had asked him to tag along. This was definitely more of Riley's thing.

She laughed. "Josh come hang out and watch movies while I make sure she's eating and gets cleaned up," her tone made Josh swore he could picture her bottom lip curled into a pout, and the thought of that brought a smirk to his face. "Please? I could use some company." He thought about it, and before he could say anything she added, "Your company."

Well, he couldn't say no to that. "Okay."

"Really?"

He nodded, though she couldn't see him. "Really." The flight attendant motioned for him to put his phone away. "Okay, I've got to turn my phone off for the take-off."

"Okay, be safe Babe, I l-'ll see you when you get here," the quickly change of her words and flustered tone made his heart rate pick up. She almost said the words, and he couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

He chuckled. "I'll see you soon, Gorgeous." And the conversation ended.

* * *

 **Riley**

The brunette ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to listen to what the professor had to say, but nothing was sticking. Everything was going in one ear and out the other. Her mind was boggled with so much, she couldn't keep up with herself. Between trying to work things out with Lucas, that was going just about as great as hanging by their fingertips on the edge of a cliff, and keeping up with her school assignments and projects, midterm papers and exams, Riley had just barely enough time to breathe and much less eat.

She could feel the back of her head being stared at by the creep Dillon who was still attempting to talk to her. The young man's intense stares and uneasy vibe made Riley feel slightly uncomfortable. His attempt to get her to leave with him at the party freaked her out, considering she barely remembered the interaction, and knowing how nice and accepting she was of people, probably would have let him lead her into a situation she couldn't get herself out of. There was a time in the last few days, she felt the need to keep looking over her shoulder as she walked to the subway that took her to the Upper East Side where she lived. She hoped to God that he didn't know where she had lived. That thought was enough to almost drive her to panic.

The professor dismissed the class, and Riley moved to her next. Before entering the classroom, she noticed a sign on the door that stated class had been cancelled for the day. Her heart soared, knowing that she could actually take one full afternoon to go home and relax and do what she needed to do, which was something she rarely did. She had asked her mom specifically for the afternoon off in order to catch up on some assignments due online, and to work on her term project that was due before Thanksgiving break in one month. She only had a quarter of the project finished. Her life was madness.

On her way out of the building she passed a group of people standing by the entrance hall. Amongst them was Dillon and she avoided eye contact and prayed he didn't see her as she walked out the door. She was only about 100 yards away when she had the nagging feeling to look over her shoulder. There he was quickly looking to the ground, and slowly following her trail. She looked back towards the front, and tried to decided where to go next. Have you ever felt that panic rise from the pit of your stomach to your chest, causing your brain to blank on the endless possibilities of what your next move is? This was how Riley felt.

She made a beeline for Broadway, thinking that if she lost him in the crowd of people on the street, and got on the subway from the station on the other side or further enough away to hail a taxi without him getting in with her, he would stop following her. Glancing back again, he was closer this time, and heart heart started rapidly beating. What could he possibly want with her? What was so special about her that he chose her to stalk? This wasn't good at all.

 _Just get to the street. Get to a crowded place_ , she told herself. She was approaching the gate that would lead her out onto Broadway, and he was gaining on her. Just as she rounded the corner, she ran into someone, who immediately caught her shoulders. Looking up, she stared at the green orbs that used to make her heart flutter in joy. "Lucas?" She tried to find the words to say but all she could think of was his name.

He smiled slightly. "Hey, I didn't think you'd be out for another hour. I was going to surprise you." He scratched the back of his head. They had only spoken the night before. She had wanted to have a serious conversation with him, but they kept getting interrupted. Now he was here, standing in front of her, and she was confused all over again.

She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his torso, and he hugged her back softly, said he was trying his best not to break her. "My class was cancelled. I was on my way home." Things were definitely not the same anymore, and the panic feeling in her stomach tuned into a knot that rose to her throat. Why couldn't things just be normal for once?

He pulled away, but still kept her close. "Well, I was thinking we could get lunch."

"Why didn't you tell me last night that you were going to be in New York?" She asked, ignoring his statement. Riley racked her memory for any mention of this conversation.

"Like I said, I wanted to surprise you. But, I'm also helping my parents this weekend move the rest of their things down to Texas." Oh. That's right. The move back. It was the knowing that he won't be linked to the city anymore by blood. His life was definite in Texas. "Something was bothering you though," he stated, "just before you ran into me."

Riley's head whipped back to behind her and Dillon was no longer in sight. Her nerves calmed, and her eyes met his again. "It's nothing. I just . . . let's get lunch. Then I have to do homework."

Things were beginning to seem normal during lunch. They ate pizza and talked about anything other than the problems they were having. Not that they were huge problems, because they weren't. They just seemed to be arguing more often than being the couple they were. Riley thought it was because of the stress in their lives outside of their relationship, and how more than often, they would go days without having a normal conversation, and when one did have time to talk, they would argue because the other would be caught up doing something else.

They also missed each other. Well, Riley knew she missed Lucas. She missed him being there, not because he was her boyfriend, but because they were friends before they dated, and even then, he was one of her favorite people to talk to. She also believed they were both scared. That's why the dreading conversation was hanging in the air, over their heads, but no words were to reach their tongues about it. Scared because splitting might mean saying goodbye, though that was the last thing either wanted. Riley also had the fear of being alone. For the last four years (pretty stinking close to it), she had the label of being someone's girlfriend, and in the beginning, she swore she was in love with him. But now, she knows that she loves him, but she wasn't sure about the "in love" part. There was a connection that they had that just didn't seem like it was surfacing anymore. And she hadn't felt the connection in a long time.

"So how's everyone else?" He asked, taking a bite of his meat lovers.

Riley tore a piece of pepperoni off her own plate. "Um, Maya is busy everyday with school, and when she's not, she's working at A1, continuing her projects, and spending time with Josh. Farkle has a lighter schedule, knowing that he took most of his classes through duel enrollment. He can't begin his full program until next fall because he wasn't quite finished with the pre-reqs in time, so he's been taking some extra elective classes along with the last class he needed to sign up for the program. My parents are busy as usual. My dad is missing us in class, but he has a good group of students. My mom has three cases this month and she's about to explode. And Auggie has fall baseball so that's pretty cool." Her talking fast was not uncommon. In fact, it was normal, but Lucas's face seemed knowing at why she was act this intense.

They stared at each other for a while, munch on their plates. Riley knew deep down of what this weekend would eventually come to, but was it possible she could delay it from happening right at this moment? "Um, so maybe we could do something tonight, just us." His lip quirked up into a smirk. "I have to get few things done for school this afternoon, and I know that you are helping your parents pack."

He nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'd love to do something tonight."

And so the wait begins.

 **Maya and Josh**

She arrived at her parents house in the early morning. She had offered to watch Olivia while her mom spent some time with Shawn. They rarely had time to spend the day together, and since their oldest daughter didn't have work or class, she was happy to take care of her little sibling.

Three months old and little Livvy was about the cutest baby girl she had seen. Her fuzzy head was of dark hair, her round cheeks were the most kissable, and a button nose Maya loved to bop when she played with her. When the baby's eyes were opened, Maya could see the little blue in them. Her mom had said they reminded her of when Maya was little. Katy had dressed her in her Daddy's Girl onesie, which was slightly too big for her because she was still so small.

She cradled her in her arms, soothing her back into a slumber, knowing that once she was asleep again, Maya would be able to set her down in her bassinet, and do her own thing until she woke up again.

An hour had went by and the clock ticked 7 AM. Shawn had sent her a few messages, reminding Maya of where she needed to find everything even though she knew where it all was. She loved seeing Shawn so protective and father like. It was her favorite quality about him. He had taken her in as his own, and since he officially adopted her she was never hesitant to call him Dad. Her eyes ventured down to the little one who was fast asleep once again. Her heart was full, knowing that Liv wouldn't have to grow up the way Maya did. She would know every single detail about her father, and have no doubt he would be there for her every single day.

A knock on the door, and the blonde smiled. She lightly placed her sister back into her bassinet and ran to the entrance of the apartment. Her guest quickly came in and set the coffee and donuts down, which allowed Maya room to practically jump into her boyfriend's arms. Even though it had only been a week and a half, that was still a lot of time they had been apart. Normally she would see him at least for maybe a couple hours all together if they had a busy week, but him flying all the way to Seattle for the company was a far distance in which they had to plan an exact time to talk to each other due to the time difference.

Being as small as she was compared to Josh, she wrapped her legs around him, and his strong arms held her up in place. Did she mention how much she loved the difference in height? Her lips first met his cheek before they reached his lips. "A week and a half is too long. I really missed you this last weekend."

He kissed her again. "I know. Dave ditched me on Friday after work to for some brunette he met at the museum, and Saturday for the Gala, I really wished you were there. I know you would have loved to see the exhibit. I think my curator team did an awesome job this time. The event was super successful."

"I want to go next time," she pouted, sticking her lip out.

His eyes read sympathy, knowing that he knew how much she wanted to be there for every event he went to. "Well, next time I go off for a few days and you don't have a test, you are more then welcome to join me."

"Good," she pecked his lips, as he set her back down on the floor. She went to grab the coffee and donuts while he sat down on the couch by the bassinet, looking at the little girl inside. Maya handed him his coffee and sat down beside him, setting the box of donuts on the coffee table.

They watched television and made small talk conversation while eating their breakfast as Liv slept peacefully. "So, what happens when she wakes up?" Josh asked.

"I'll give her a bottle and rock her. It's not as hard as you think. She's a good baby too, so she's not one to cry much. The only time she does that is when there's too much noise or she needs a diaper change," Maya took a bite out of her powered sugar donut, then leaned over to check on her sister.

About an hour went by before Liv woke up, hungry for food. Josh watched as Maya picked up her little sister, carefully cradling her in her arms, as she went to retrieve the bottle on the counter.

He was amazed at how Maya was caring for such a little human being. She was so sweet and nurturing as a big sister, he could only imagine how she was going to be as a mother of her own. He blinked, looking away. That was something he shouldn't be thinking of at the moment. Not that it was bad to think of her as a mother one day, but it's still early into their relationship, and his only thought was that he couldn't imagine her having that lifestyle with anyone else. Shawn would kill him if he knew this.

Liv was over half-way into her bottle when Maya looked at him urgently. "Could you hold her while I use the bathroom?"

His eyes widened. "Um, how—?" He motioned with his hands. Truth be told, he had never really held a baby _this_ small before.

"Sit down," Maya demanded, and he did as he was told. She slowly placed her sister in his arms. "Make sure her head is propped up, and the bottle is tilted this way, otherwise no milk will come out." After making sure he was stable with her, she ran for the bathroom.

Josh had no idea if he was doing this right. The little bundle was so small, he was afraid he might crush her if his grip was too hard, but he was also afraid she might fall if he didn't hold tight enough. After a few minutes of getting used to her, he examined her face, and saw the perfect combination between Shawn and Katy both. She was by no doubt gonna be a cute kid.

Once done with her bottle she started to get fidgety and he panicked slightly, trying to think of what to do. The only thing that came to mind was to rock her back and forth. While that helped, she was still on the verge of tears. Josh found himself beginning to hum the tune of some song he forgot the name of. As he became a tad louder, the whining stopped, and all little Liv could do was stare in the direction of where the sound was coming from.

On the other side of the apartment, Maya was just getting out of the restroom. She shook her head thinking about how her time of the month wasn't supposed to come until three days from now, but she should have been more prepared. In this last year, her cycle was less regulated and more out of control. Her mother had some suggestions about this, and Maya had yet to make an appointment.

Once she made her way out of the hall and into the kitchen, she could hear someone singing. She smiled slightly, making her way forward, stopping in the archway between the living room and kitchen, watching Josh rock her little sister humming a tune of an old song.

Giving her to him was something Maya wasn't sure about at first, because she knew he had never held a baby her size before, but her using the bathroom was an emergency, and if he was sitting down while holding her, she felt much better leaving the room for a few minutes.

But now, as she stared at him rocking Liv, Maya couldn't help but marvel at how good he was at this. The first time Maya had watched her sister for a couple hours, were the most stressful minutes she had experienced, because she had no idea what to expect and do by herself with a baby. Josh was doing way better in the ten minutes he was holding her than Maya did the whole two hours her mother was away that day. Then again, Liv was also three weeks old then.

Josh hadn't noticed Maya standing there yet, and she hoped that she could witness what was going on just a little while longer before he did. She let her mind wander about the possibilities, and too soon he looked up and his eyes met hers. "What are you thinking?" He questioned.

"What?" She asked, not catching what he said.

He smirked. "You're giving me a look. What are you thinking about?"

The corners of her lips quirked up into a smile. "You don't want to know what I'm thinking." She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him what was going through her head. She wasn't sure if they were ready for that.

"Maya, I always want to know what your thinking. That's what helps us understand each other." She hadn't realized that she was getting closer to him, until she sat right next to him on the couch.

She licked her lips and tried to find the correct words. "I was just thinking . . . you're good with her. It's easier than you thought isn't it?" Maybe she could redirect the subject.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's probably not always easy for your parents, but at this age, they seem to sleep all the time." He looked back at her. "But that's not what you were thinking." Damn. He knew her too well now. She should have known that he was going to see right through her. How could she think he wouldn't?

"I was just thinking . . . you are going to be a great father to your kids someday." Okay, that definitely came out wrong.

His eye squinted and he studied her face for a few moments. "You say that as if they're just my kids and not yours too . . ." The statement made her freeze in her place. _Oh no_ , she thought. _Does he believe I doesn't see him in that way?_ She was searching for the words to say but nothing was coming out. Josh placed Liv in the bassinet, then faced his panicked looking girlfriend. "Maya, is there something you're not telling me?"

"What?" the word came out as quickly as it rolled of her lips. "No, I'm just . . . Uh . . . just don't . . ." instead of looking everywhere but him, her eyes met his. "I just don't want you to think that I'm thinking about this, this early on in our relationship. Because the last thing I want to do is scare you away." At the las comment, he started chuckling, and she was confused all over again.

He turned to face her and smiled. "Maya, you're not going to scare me away. I can promise you that." He reached to grab her hands. "I'm right here and no matter what you say, it's not going to drive me away."

She pursed her lips. "It's not that I don't ever want to think about it, because I do, but I know we're not ready for that."

He nodded, pulling her to wrap his arm around her. "You're right. We're not ready for that . . . yet. Just because we're not ready now, doesn't mean we never will be. And it's not a crime to think about the future now, as long as we're smart and wait for the future to come to us." He looked down to already find her staring at him. "I want you to know that us dating isn't something that I look at as temporary. Because you mean so much more to me than you know. When I look at you, I can see my whole future."

That was the moment she knew. Wherever life decided she was going to go, she knew she wanted Josh to be the one standing next to her. "I love you," the words were quiet and she blinked, realizing that she actually said that aloud.

He smiled bashfully, his cheeks Turing bright red, but he never looked away from her. "You almost said that on the phone last night." He caught that? Then again, she wasn't that good at playing it off.

"I felt it would be better saying it in person," she stated, her heart dropping the moment he didn't reciprocate the words.

She stood up, and made her way towards the kitchen, but before she could get there, she felt him grab her arm and spin her around to face him. Maya felt her back against the wall and he inched closer to her. Her heart rate picked up and just before his lips touched hers the three little words rolled right off his tongue. "I love you too."

Her arms slinked up around his neck, while his wrapped around her waist. Their lips moved in harmony and a little thought in the back of her mind told her that they shouldn't be making out in her parents living room with her sister sleeping, but the other part of her brain simply did not care. She loved him and he loved her. But as the universe always works, there was a knock at the door, which caused Maya to groan in frustration, as this normally happened when her and Josh were having a good moment.

They parted from one another slowly, and she made her way over to the door. Opening it, Farkle Minkus barged in. "Okay, come in . . ." Maya said, but her demeanor changed once seeing the alert look on her best friends face. "Farkle, what's wrong."

"Lucas is in town," he said.

Maya blinked. "What?" Riley never told her that Lucas was going to be in town. "What do you mean Lucas is in town?"

"He's here in New York, because his parents are moving back to Texas and he's helping them." He paced the floor in the living room, keeping his voice low enough due to Liv sleeping. "You and I both know what's going to happen before he leaves."

It was inevitable. Maya knew that. "You don't think that she would actually go through with it, do you?"

"If she doesn't, he will." What did he just say?

Josh stepped between them. "You mean Lucas is going to break things off officially?"

Maya's stomach dropped. "If hurts my girl, I'm gonna go all pounding on his ass."

"Maya . . ." Josh warned.

"No, Farkle what do you mean by 'he will.' Has he said something to you?"

The genius shook his head. "No, but Zay and I talk, and he told me that Lucas has been thinking about breaking things off." He put his hands up. "Not because he doesn't care anymore, but because their hearts are in two different places right now. He's afraid. I'm just stopping by, because you and I have been anticipating this, and we need to make sure that we're okay with Lucas, but we're still there for Riley too, because we know how she's going to react, even if she was the one to break things off herself."

"I just don't know if that's really what she wants," Maya stated.

Farkle's head dropped. "But it is." Maya looked up at him. "I was there two weeks ago. After the party when you guy went back to your place," he pointed at Josh, "Riley felt terrible, and she was sick, and it wasn't that she had too much to drink, but that she felt guilty about why she went out in the first place. I knew that she would feel that way. But then she was angry, because of how she felt. She's tired of feeling this way towards him, because right now it's not love, it's resentment. It hurts her to feel like that towards him, because all she ever did was love him. But she's still Riley, who is going to be heartbroken, and you I are going to be picking up the pieces."

It saddened Maya to know that Farkle knew more about how Riley felt than she did. Maybe this needs to happen. Riley hadn't been happy in along time, and she needs to find that happiness again. Maya couldn't imagine how Riley felt looking at her and Josh together, that must be really hard for her to watch.

"Okay," Maya said. "When do you think this will happen?"

He shrugged. "They're at lunch right now, but Riley texted me, saying that they were going to do dinner tonight. She had some homework to do and he was going to help his mom finish packing the truck. Apparently they leave tomorrow morning."

"So this is definitely going to be happening tonight," she stated, looking at Josh for unspoken support. He reached over to grab her hand. There was nothing that could be said to stop the hurt in her heart for her best friend.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **Riley**

She tried. She really did. Trying to focus on her school work was the hardest things to do today. All she could think about was how Lucas would be here to pick her up in an hour and she had no idea what to expect. All she knew was that tonight was going to be a night she wanted to be over with as soon as possible, but also a night that she wanted to last forever, just so they couldn't reach the inevitable decision.

She dressed warm, but casual, knowing that they weren't going to be going anywhere fancy this evening. She heard the doorbell and she walked over to grab her bag. Riley opened her door and walked out to find Lucas having a conversation with Farkle in the kitchen. The genius looked over at her and smiled, before giving Lucas a fist bump. "As Maya would say, take of her," he said, before looking at Riley. "Have fun." He made his way up the steps to his room.

The two college kids made their way out onto the streets of the city. It was nice and cool, but not shivering cold just yet. The silence was comfortable, but she could feel the tension between them. Aside from earlier today, it had been a long while since they held a conversation in person. "So how was homework?" He asked.

"To be honest, I couldn't really concentrate today." Her brown eyes looked over to meets his green ones. He nodded in understanding. "What are we doing this evening? You never told me exactly what we were up to."

He shrugged. "I thought that we could go to Guy's. I missed eating there." She smiled. That was his favorite restaurant to eat here in New York.

"I actually haven't been to Guy's since I went with you the last time," she mentioned. "Sounds delicious." Once on 5th Avenue, Lucas hailed a taxi.

The ride took longer than normal because it was during a rush hour of traffic, and not to mention going down those one way streets. Arriving at their destination, Lucas payed the driver before Riley could reach her bag. He was always the gentleman, even opening the front door of the restaurant for her. He was also smart by making a reservation ahead of time, because they walked in and were seated immediately.

After their waitress grabbed their drinks and food orders, Lucas looked at Riley from across the booth. "So what was bothering you earlier before you ran into me? You waved it off like it was nothing, but I know it was something."

She shrugged. "It was nothing. I honestly think I was imagining it." He waited for more response. "There is this creep in my class. His name is Dillon, and I think he likes me. Well, I want to assume so, since he's hinted several times, but he won't take a hint that I'm not interested or available," she half smiled.

He chuckled. "So you think he's following you?"

"I thought so, but as soon as you showed up I couldn't see him anymore. That's why I think I was imagining it." Riley had no idea if he was really following her. It might've been a guy that looked like him, but she was so sure. Maybe she was just paranoid at the situation.

"If he continues to bother you, let me know. I'll gladly give him a call, since I won't be here. And if anything serious is happening, please go to authorities," he said sincerely. She nodded, letting him know that she would. _But it couldn't be that terrible, could it? I mean, those things only happen in the movies right?_ She thought.

They continued to make small talk. He mentioned how he was able to walk on his ankle, but the doctor hadn't cleared him to play ball just yet. His Pappy-Joe was helping his dad with all the heavy lifting of the furniture, while Lucas only helped his mom with the small stuff. He was mainly there to be an extra driver of one of the vehicles, since his family had two of them.

"It's going to be different not having your mom and dad here," Riley mentioned, trying not to get worked up. She had built a relationship with his parents (more so his mother), and it was going to be strange to know that she wouldn't be able to walk into the Friar house and smell fresh sugar cookies made, or see his two dogs that would tackle Riley every time she entered the house. She had felt slightly guilty that she hadn't seen Mrs. Carol in a few weeks.

Lucas bit his lower lip. "Yeah, it's strange to think they are going back to the same house I grew up in."

"Really?" She asked. "The one house you showed all of us when we were in Texas in the eighth grade?"

He nodded. "That's the one. Pappy-Joe and few of his friends remodeled it, so it looks a lot different then it did before when you saw it." He licked his lips. "But I won't be living there. I'm still on Campus. How's living with Maya and Farkle though? I feel like I'm about to strangle Charlie."

Riley giggled. "Um, well I don't want to strangle them so I think we're doing pretty good. In all honesty, we're all so busy that we don't really see each other that long to get on each others nerves. Since Maya and I have separate jobs and school life, we only get to see each other right before we go to sleep sometimes. I see Farkle more than her sometimes, but that's because we go to the same school and have a similar school schedule. Living with them is fun. We all get along, and we have freedom."

"And how are you dealing with Maya and Josh?" He asked.

She shrugged and smiled. "I'm really happy for them. They're really really happy together, and that's all I ever want for them. It's not awkward anymore. It's actually really cute seeing them interact."

"That's good." He stated as the food came to them. They didn't say much while they ate. Then again, it was Guy's food, so there wasn't much room for them to talk anyway, other than stuff their faces.

Riley's Mac and Cheese Burger was huge and so amazingly delicious. Lucas had the ribs, which Riley found herself stealing one off his plate, with he never minded. The date seemed over all normal, and they found themselves back into the same routine as they were before he left the city.

After they were done eating, they slowly made their way out of the restaurant. His mom had texted him sometime in the last hour telling him he shouldn't be home late due to the fact they would be heading out super early in the morning. Riley understood that. They had a long drive.

On the walk back, he grabbed her hand. Their fingers intertwined like it was muscle memory, but something about this felt different. It wasn't that feeling that she used to feel. It was more friendly, rather than romantic. She needed to say something, but when she began to speak, he did too. They laughed awkwardly. "You first," she said.

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," the first words he spoke and she instantly wanted to wrap her arms around him in a hug, but she waited for him to continue. "I'm sorry for everything that has happened in these last few months we've been apart. I was acting dumb and immature, and you deserve so much better than that. Long distance is a lot harder than we thought it was going to be."

She nodded. "I know, and it's okay to have dumb moments. We all do sometimes. I have to admit, Maya has been more pissed off at you that I have over all but, I think what has been bothering me most is that I don't know how I feel anymore." She squeezed his hand and looked at him, but his facial expression was the same. They were both confused. "I know that I will always care for you, but this distance that we've had, I think the universe is trying to tell us something."

"At first I didn't want to believe it," he shook his head. "For so long it's been you and me, and how people tell me that I'm not going to get anyone better than you, and they're probably right. You have been the best girlfriend any guy could have and I've been so lucky to call you that." They stared at each other for a while. "You're right though, and I feel the same. I too will always care for you, but we haven't been the same in a long time, and I have not been fair to you to hold you back from doing great things." His thumb slid crossed hers. "I'm scared though."

Riley inhaled at the thought. "Me too. You are my first love, my first almost everything, and I'm afraid I won't find that again." She looked at him. "Is that why you're scared?" He nodded.

"I don't want to lose you entirely either." He met her eyes. "Before you were my girlfriend, you were one of my best friends. I wouldn't be the person I am today because of you, and I have worked my ass off these last few months to not give into so much crap that should be really easy for me to decline, but it's hard."

Of course it's hard, but he had troubles with will power and he knew it. She stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face him. She wanted to look at his face as she said this, but she needed to. "This is going to be really hard for me to say, because I've tried to play this all in my head a thousand times, and every single time, the outcome was terrible, but I need to say it. I want a break from this. I care about you too much, and I don't want this to continue to the point of me not caring about you anymore. You know that I have a guilty conscious and if I do the slightest thing, even if it isn't considered rebelling, but I take it in that way, I get sick to my stomach. I have felt angry and confused because I know that there will always be something there, because you're my first love, but I don't want to be angry with you like I have these last few weeks. I don't want this to continue if all I'm ever going to feel for in the long run is resentment." At this point, she had a couple tears streaming down her face, but she still held on to his hand.

He never let go either, and she could see tears forming in the ducts of his eyes. "I know. It's my fault. I caused this in the first place. I should have never pushed you six months ago, when you warned me that this could happen. I shouldn't have let my personal fears be the reason I dragged you down. I pushed you away, even though that was the last thing I ever wanted. I'm so sorry." With his other hand, he reached out to wipe away the tears on her cheek. "Please forgive me."

She looked up at him and deep down she knew that she couldn't be super angry with him, because if she was smart, she would have had another discussion with him, before this got too far out of hand. But that's what happens when you're confused and don't know what to do. Not being able to find the words, she stepped forward to hug him. He held her for a few moments, as she gained her composure to continue walking forward towards her house.

"I still want to talk to you," she said. "Please don't stop that."

He nodded. "Of course. I don't think I could ever stop talking to any of you." She could hear him gulp. "I know Maya has been pissed off at me for a while. She hasn't texted me in weeks."

"Yeah, well I'll try my best to tell her this was mutual, but she has her own way of dealing with things," Riley stated, knowing that Maya was probably going to go off on him no matter what she said.

They stopped in front of the house. "I'm fully aware of how Maya handles things." He turned to look at her, and she hoped that this wouldn't be the last time she saw him. And as if he was reading her mind, he said, "you'll see me again. I promise."

Riley didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she stood on her tippy-toes and gave him one last goodbye kiss. Though there was no spark like there used to be, it was still nice, and she was glad to end the night on a bitter-sweet note. "Be careful on your drive home. Let us know when you get there safely."

"I will," he gave her one last bear hug and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight Riles."

"Goodnight," the words left her mouth as he watched her go inside.

Just as she closed the door behind her, she placed her back against the door, and all of the feelings buried in the pit of her stomach rose. A mixture of hurt, anger, confusion, and relief poured out. All she did was cry silently at the door, sliding down to hug her knees.

Not soon after, there was someone else down beside her. He didn't say anything, but all he did was help her stand back up again, and she fell into him needing to hold onto something. Someone. After a few minutes, she gained some composure and dignity. Farkle looked so hurt watching her. She didn't want him to feel sorry for her.

"Do we have ice cream?" She asked.

He gave her a small smile. "You go get changed and I'll be upstairs with a pint and Harry Potter ready." She couldn't be more grateful for him. "Maya said she'll be home in about an hour. She and Josh grabbed a bite to eat." Riley nodded, heading to her room to change into a much more comfortable outfit.

Looking at herself in the mirror before leaving the room, she gave herself a mental pep-talk. She was a free woman now. She was going to be strong and independent. She was going to make the grades she deserved and do stuff to make her happy. She wasn't living for anyone else, and though she knew it was going to be hard these next couple of weeks, she wasn't going to let that get in the way of her being happy.

She hoped that one day in the future, things will be back to normal for her and Lucas entirely. She had hope that they would be good friends again, just like before. Cleaning herself up, she was ready for a movie marathon with Farkle.

Five days till Halloween. Then it'll be November. She was determined to start the month of being thankful with a clean slate.

* * *

 **A/N:** _I'm so sorry this has taken me so long to get up to you. I have been so busy these last two weeks with all of the holiday festivities and the preparing for my semester of classes, which I was on the waiting list for two of them, and ended up in both unexpectedly, so I had to rush to my first day of class, without books or being completely prepared, so that was fun. But now I have more classes than I thought, so I'm sorry if I get behind or sloppy with my writing at times._

 _I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was really hard for me to write the split between Riley and Lucas. I wanted it to be super confusing for a reason, because they are both super confused about their feelings and I wanted to show that in their break-up. I'm a fan of all the ships. I really am. There are aspects of different ships that I like a tad more, but I do have a soft spot for every single ship. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!_

* * *

 **Preview to next Chapter:**

 _"Are you sure you're okay, Riles?" Maya asked. When the brunette nodded, the blond looked up at Farkle as if she expected him to say something, but there was nothing that could be said. He had already asked his questions._


	5. Aftermath

**Sense and Sensibility**

 **A/N:** _So I've decided to shorten my chapters a bit. This being so I can build suspense and it gives me a slightly lighter load to where I can do school work and write and not feel so overwhelmed with all the writing that I've been doing for class lately. Adulting is hard. College is difficult. For all of my readers who are not in college yet, enjoy your time while you have it. Life gets wayyyy harder._

 _Anyway, here is my next chapter. These next two chapters are going to be a foundation for the direction I'm taking the story next. I hope you all enjoy._

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count:** 4,218

* * *

 **Previously on S &S:**

 _Looking at herself in the mirror before leaving the room, she gave herself a mental pep-talk. She was a free woman now. She was going to be strong and independent. She was going to make the grades she deserved and do stuff to make her happy. She wasn't living for anyone else, and though she knew it was going to be hard these next couple of weeks, she wasn't going to let that get in the way of her being happy._

 _She hoped that one day in the future, things will be back to normal for her and Lucas entirely. She had hope that they would be good friends again, just like before. Cleaning herself up, she was ready for a movie marathon with Farkle._

 _Five days till Halloween. Then it'll be November. She was determined to start the month of being thankful with a clean slate._

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Aftermath**

 **Maya**

As the motorcycle stopped on the side of the road, Maya debated on what she was going to say. Maybe a visit wasn't the best idea. No. She had to know. She had to talk to him.

She discarded the helmet, and Josh did as well. "I'm guessing I'm waiting here?"

"I'm only going to be a few minutes. It's best if I talk to him just me. He doesn't need his ex-girlfriend's uncle scolding him in the background. I know he's expecting a visit from me, or a phone call at least." She got off the bike and stepped up to Josh's side.

Josh smirked. "Why can't it be just a phone call?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him.

She gave him a firm kiss. "I don't want to lose a friend just because of a break up. We all promised we'd be there for each other no matter what, and I'm holding up my end of the bargain." He nodded in understanding, while she fiddled with the ends of his hair. "Besides, I need some answers. He hasn't been straight with me on the phone or through texting, but now he's here in the flesh and he can't come up with some excuse to get out of it. Plus, his mom loves me and she'll demand him to speak to me." She smiled.

"Okay okay. Text me if you need me," he said.

She approached the townhouse and saw the lights on. In the front window, she could see the smiling face of Mrs. Friar washing dishes of a dinner that was probably just eaten. Maya felt a pang in her heart. She really didn't want to bother them on their last night in New York, asking to talk to their son about dumping her best friend—one of his best friends—whom his parents loved to death.

Maya was just about to turn and go back around the corner of the street where Josh was waiting when the front door opened and Lucas came down, carrying a small bag of trash to put in the dumpster. Spotting her, he had to take a double-take to make sure he was seeing her correctly. "Maya?"

She smiled, slightly. "Hey Huckleberry, long time no see . . . or talk," she crossed her arms, pacing the bottom of the steps.

He opened the green city bucket and put the trash in. "It's good to see you too Shortstack." He put his hands into his pockets as the breeze picked up. "I'm assuming you came to talk to me about Riley and I breaking up not but two hours ago. I'm surprised you didn't come sooner." He raised his eyebrows.

Maya shrugged. "I'm sorry, I was out to dinner with my boyfriend, when Farkle texted me." She looked at him and he seemed to be waiting for her to say the words that was going to make him feel worse. "You know Riley, she was going to break no matter what."

The look of dread fell on his face. The guy just had a nice evening with his parents, and now he was reminded of what he might have been trying not to think about for the last hour or so. He took a deep breath. "I know, but me staying probably would have made it worse. When I saw Farkle's car parked out front, I knew she at least wouldn't be alone." He sat down on the bottom step. "The break up was mutual, and believe it or not, I wasn't sure if I could do it. Not until she started the conversation, and I realized how much difficulty I caused her, all because I was getting caught up in college life." He rubbed his head.

She sat down next to him. "You didn't do anything, did you?"

"No. I promise. There were pictures taken, but nothing happened. I was known to have a girlfriend, and made it clear that I was not available. I would never hurt Riley. She's—well she was my girlfriend, and one of my best friends. I still consider her one of my best friends. I have hope that one day things will get back to good terms, but I know it's going to take some time. I'm still going to text her, when I can. Baseball keeps me busy and pre-vet school in hell on earth. I'm only in New York because I'm still not cleared to play ball until next week, otherwise I'd be studying biology on a bus to Albuquerque."

Maya sighed. "But you have time to go out to parties and experience 'college life?'"

"Three parties, right before pre-season games began and Riley and I were still talking all the time, until games started. Then I got behind in my school work, deprived of sleep, and the morning I was late to class, I was taken to the emergency room to get my ankle checked. I knew then that I wasn't being fair to her. It had been a couple days we hadn't spoken and I knew she was pissed. I hadn't meant to not text her, but each time I got the chance, I was either distracted with playing ball or sucked in school work. I can't tell you how many times I have fallen asleep at my desk. It's surprising enough that I was still able to dive for a ball even how terrible my back had been." He shook his head.

Maya could see how exhausted he was. His shoulders drooped, and even in the dim lighting, she could still see he had bags under his eyes. He was worrying about too many things all at once and maybe the break from worrying about maintaining a long distance relationship would do him some good. She knew deep in her heart that the break would do Riley good too. "So no partying in the last month?"

He shrugged. "If we did go out, it wasn't on our territory, and then again, we're not allowed to 'party' in the middle of a tournament. We could get disqualified, and if any of the guys were drug tested for alcohol consumption, we would be kicked off the team, so recently, we just sit around a fire, talking. I mostly worry about my next exam and whether or not I'm going to fail it."

"Do you think there is hope for you and Riley in the future?" Maya still had some hope for them.

He glanced at her from the side. "I do. But I'm not going to hold her back if she finds somebody else. Riley deserves to be happy, and if it's not with me, then who am I to stop her? I will always love her, but we both need to focus on ourselves. It's the only way we are going to truly be happy and see who we are supposed to be, and maybe if life has it, we'll find each other again." Good answer.

"Things will get better," she nudged him, "and don't worry about Riley tonight, Farkle has Harry Potter on and triple chocolate fudge to eat, and I bet she'll have fallen asleep by the time I get home."

"Keep me updated on her? Make sure she's doing okay?" He asked, and she nodded texting Josh to come around front. "By the way, you aren't walking home all by yourself, are you? It's after dark."

She giggled. "No," they both could hear the rumble of the bike start up. "You think Josh would have let me walk here all by myself?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know he was waiting for you," he said.

She shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you myself. Didn't think you'd want Riley's uncle to be involved in the conversation." Josh pulled up, taking off his helmet. He nodded at the two. Maya and Lucas stood up and she gave him a hug. "It's good to see you too Lucas," she stated.

She walked back over to Josh, who gave her her helmet. Just as she was fixing to put it over her head she saw the cowboy chuckling, "y'all really are a bad ass looking couple."

Josh smirked. "Nice to see you again, Lucas."

"You too, Josh." The tension lingered in the air.

"Okay," Maya stated. "Tough crowd." She put her helmet on. "Be careful driving back to Texas, Ranger Rick. Text one of us when you get there." He nodded.

As she got back on to the bike, Lucas hadn't budged from his spot on the bottom step. He stared at the ground intently. There was more on his mind, but he looked overall jut downright confused. Maya had wondered if he had chosen to stay in New York, if things would be different. Maybe they all wouldn't be as broken as the all feel right now.

Fourteen year old Farkle's words popped into her head as she wrapped her arms around Josh's waist. _"I want us to last forever."_

The ache in her heart swelled. Forever was a long time and she still had hope that it was possible.

 **Farkle**

The knot in the pit of his stomach grew as he kept an eye on his best friend, who happened to be sitting right next to him while watching the movie marathon. She had had her moment of breakdown, and after walking up the steps to meet him in the loft, Farkle saw Riley Matthews whole aura change in a matter of minutes. Her eyes were puffy and red, but her expression was liberating and full of determination. He was cautious of what to say, so he said nothing for now, but let her sit down next to him, while he offered her a tub of triple chocolate fudge (her personal favorite).

Her eyes were glued to the screen, while she slowly ate her dessert for the night. Farkle grew worried, as she began to let her shoulders slump down, and allowed her glassy eyes to be fill with tears once again. He knew how much she hated to cry and feel weak in front of people, no matter if it was just her friends or not.

Farkle looked down at his own tub of ice cream and didn't feel like eating it anymore. He set it off to the side and like clockwork, or as if Riley had been reading his mind, she curled up and immediately rested her head on his lap. He knew it was the best way for her to cry and him not really witness it, even though he could faintly feel her shake. They had been sharing a blanket, but now she lie somewhat on top of it with her head, so he took the throw from behind him and tossed it on top of her so she would stay warm. His own heart wrenched at her aching one.

His hands rubbed her back gently as to try and sooth her to sleep. His mom did this after finding out his grandfather died when he was ten. It was a sensation that immediately put him in a state of calm. Riley had long hair, and he remembered back in middle school, sitting behind her and often fiddling with the ends of it. So he played with the ends of her hair and ran his fingers through it. She hadn't complained (not that she ever did before), so he continued, eventually making his way up to her scalp. At this point they were in the middle of the second movie, and Riley's whole figure was in a constant state. She inhaled every five seconds and within three, she was exhaling.

Farkle continued rubbing her head lightly, but throwing his own head on the back of the couch. He really hoped Maya knew what she was doing. The blonde had sent him a message earlier, asking about Riley's state of emotion, and Farkle knew if he didn't tell the truth, he would be skewered alive, so he gave her a brief text, and she replied that she might be home a little later than expected. He prayed that she wasn't getting herself into a bad situation. The last thing they need is a hurt Riley _and_ a "Texas Lucas" to surface. Then again, Farkle had to admit, Lucas needed to explain part of himself. As much as he cared about him, Riley was his roommate and someone he always cared for deeply. She was his first concern.

It wasn't long before he heard someone walk up the steps of the loft. The blonde stood there with a grim expression, before moving closer to the two people on the couch. She said nothing as she gave Farkle a sad look, and then bent down to her other half and placed a kiss on her forehead. She then took a seat next to the genius and she placed her head on his shoulder and continued to watch the movie.

It was times like these where he enjoyed hanging out with his two best friends, but the times he disliked, only recently because it was always the outcome of a sad situation.

He wished for simpler times. Like the end of Freshman year of high school. Yeah, that was a much better time. Where exactly? Right after finding out the Matthews were not moving to London. The clique six were stronger than ever and a brick wall, ready for anything willing to attack them. He and Smackle were falling in love, and both Riley and Lucas had so much hope in their relationship. Even Zay had felt more complete in the group than he did before, and Maya was flourishing, especially after she became an official Hunter.

It was going to take time, but he was determined for a better end to the year. College was supposed to be the best years of their lives, not the worst. Maya was great, and still having high hopes. She was healthy, living and in love with Josh and Farkle knew that Josh was in love with her just by how much he talked about her. Farkle was so happy she was finally where she wanted to be in life, and now he had hope that Riley would find happiness too.

The movie had ended and Maya had moved, causing Riley to stir in her sleep. Farkle had debated whether or not to wake her up or carry her to her bed. The couch was a super comfortable piece of furniture and he had fallen asleep there many times. Maya squeezed Farkle's shoulder and he vaguely heard the words, "you should text him," as she made her way down the steps.

He should. He knows he should, but looking at Riley, he wouldn't know what to say to the guy. Farkle hadn't agreed with how Lucas kept Riley always guessing and letting her down. The guy didn't realized how good of a woman she was. Anyone would be lucky to call Riley theirs, and if Lucas hadn't been caught up in another world, she would have been his until death.

Farkle repositioned Riley so that she would sleep comfortably the whole night, but not wake up with a kink in her neck, or any other limbs aching. He made sure she was tucked in and just before he left her, he brushed her hair out of her face, and noticed how peaceful she looked when she wasn't worrying. "Goodnight Riley," he voice barely audible.

Going to bed sounded like a great idea, but he needed to talk to Maya.

Knocking on her door, she opened to allow him entrance. "Why should I talk to him?"

She gave him a look that made it seem like he didn't make sense of his question. "Because he's still our friend, and the breakup _was_ mutual." She crossed her arms. "We already knew this was going to happen. It's Riley. She was going to break down no matter what. I think she's more relived that she doesn't have this regretful feeling in her anymore. She can actually breathe for once."

"But what about him? Didn't he make her feel like this in the first place?" He leaned against the wall.

Maya bit her lower lip. "Look, I know you're super defensive when it comes to Riley, but she was freaked out about the long distance thing more than she should have been. Lucas wouldn't hurt her, and he didn't hurt her. I've thought about this for a while now, but she hasn't felt the same about Lucas in a long time. Like a long time. But she was scared to let go, because she's been in a relationship with the boy since she was fourteen years old."

Super defensive? Shouldn't she be the super defensive one due to her relationship with Riley? Of course he was going to be on Riley's side, but what he hadn't expected was Maya to state what could possibly be the truth, but why?

Then it dawned on him. "You went to talk to him in person, didn't you?"

Her eyebrows rose in confirmation. She wasn't hiding it at least. "You thought I wouldn't?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't sure. I didn't want you to say something to set him off and he really get unhitched."

Maya shook her head. "Farkle, he hasn't turned into 'Texas Lucas' in years. In fact, I don't think he's ever been 'Texas Lucas' here in New York." She put her finger up as he was about to say something. "And don't even give me the 'people can change him back' because I know the speech. But I do think Josh was right, he'll think about the person he was and what 'good' it did him, and then he'll think about that type of person he was here in New York and realize that's the type of person he wants to be, because he's a smart guy."

He knew she was right, though his heart wanted Lucas to feel like crap because or Riley's tears. He nodded and turned to the door. Just before walking out he looked back at her. "At least tell me that he was broken up about it too?"

Her eyes were glassy. "I don't think I've seen him this upset since we found out about the possibility of the Matthews moving to London. In time, everything is going to work itself out. I don't know when, but we're all going to be okay." She looked at him directly. "We have to be okay."

Farkle stared at her for a long time. "How is it possible? How is it possible that you have so much hope that everything is going to be okay?"

How was it possible? She had many reasons to not be positive about a lot of stuff, but the one that did was the only reason she could think of. "Farkle, if things had been different almost a year ago, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I was in a terrible accident that could have cost my entire life. I was given a second chance at life, and if I could be given a second chance, then I can sure hope that things will get better between us all."

He looked guilty. She knew he was only wanting to feel anger towards Lucas, because he cared about Riley and she was someone he saw every day, but he knew that he couldn't stay mad at Lucas forever. Farkle was aware that stuff like this happened. Even with him and Smackle, though Maya and Riley care about Farkle, and are closer with him, they both still talk to Izzy when they can, and wouldn't treat her any different if she visited New York. Farkle had to try and do the same.

"I'll message him," he said, just as he was going to make his way out the door. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

Maya shrugged. "Riley's tough. She's going to be fine. She has you and me. And Josh, if we want to count him in. But she has you and me." As if that was a good enough answer from her, he nodded telling her goodnight, closing the door behind him.

Saturday came quickly through the night, and Farkle got up early to see Riley making breakfast downstairs as she held a silent conversation with Maya, who was surprisingly awake at this time. He watched the brunette carefully as he descended the steps and entered the kitchen. He sat a the bar and watched her flip the fried eggs and smelled the delicious aroma of bacon.

"Morning," he stated, fiddling with some the papers that had been left on the island.

"Are you sure you're okay, Riles?" Maya asked. When the brunette nodded, the blonde looked up at Farkle as if she expected him to say something, but there was nothing that could be said. He wasn't going to push her to talk about it.

She shouldn't need to feel like she had to talk about it. The conversation was done. It was time to move on. So instead of pestering her, Farkle repeated his statement.

Riley turned around with a smile on her face. Just like last night, before she had sat down next to him on the couch, he caught that liberating look on her face. He had hoped it would stick for the rest of the day. "Good morning," she said softly. "We're all here for breakfast at the same time? I'm impressed."

"No work for today," Farkle guessed. "Well at least I don't."

Maya shrugged. "I don't. I work all day tomorrow though, which sucks."

"I open in the morning," Riley said, "But then I have some studying to do." She placed the wife dish filled with bacon on the counter in front of them. "Dig in."

The blonde didn't hesitate and Farkle thanked Riley before he grabbed himself a piece. Then there was a knock at the door and Josh walked in, wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt. "It's getting colder outside and it's sad because I'm not going to enjoy my morning walks anymore." He looked at Farkle. "I thought about hitting the gym this afternoon if you want to join, Man."

He thought about it and really had nothing else to do for the day. He couldn't really start on his project until he could get to the Planetarium on Tuesday, so he nodded. "Yeah. Might as well. Not sure when I'm gonna get back at it this week. I could go for some boxing today."

"You mind if I join you guys?" Riley asked.

Josh raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

She nodded. "Maya said boxing was a good way to blow off some steam."

"I did?" Maya asked before she nodded, remembering. "That's right, I did."

Josh moved around the island to give his niece a bear hug. "Okay. You can join us." He looked at his girlfriend. "And what about you, Gorgeous?"

She shook her head. "I'd love to, but I have to go to Topanga's and grab the camera I was letting Topanga borrow for the catering event she was going to be doing on Monday. I have to switch the chips in the camera, because the one that's there has some work I'm going to add for my project that is due soon. By the way Farkle, do you still have the video footage you took in Hawaii?"

"Yeah, you might have to go through some of the files to find exactly what you need, but I'll let you hook the drive up to your computer." He said. "I'll make sure it's on the island before we leave."

Josh nodded. "If you want, my camera bag is laying right by my desk in my room, if you want to use the footage I took as well."

She smiled. "Awesome. I could definitely use some different perspectives." Maya poured her a cup of coffee and Josh followed, as they both made their way onto the back patio where there was more room for them to all eat and hang out.

Riley sighed, as she made a plate for herself, and she winced as she slightly touched the hot pan with her hand. Farkle rushed over before she could drop her food everywhere on the floor. "Hey don't worry about this. I'll finish making you're plate."

She watched him as he finished putting the eggs on her plate, and he didn't have to look at her to know that she appreciated the help. She did in fact cook all of it for them. He knew fully well that she did it to occupy herself. He made his own plate, and was going to go for the coffee pot, when he noticed Riley had already poured him a cup. "Thank you Riles."

Handing him his mug, she smiled. "You're welcome Farkle." She walked ahead, making her way towards the door to join Maya and Josh. The genius made it a point in his brain to make sure that what ever he did this week, he was going to uplift Riley's spirits. She was going to continue to smile and he wanted to be the one to help her do that.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know it's a shorter chapter, but I thought it would be a longer story if I started to do it this way. So my chapters will not be as long for now, unless it's a pretty big chapter that needs more attention. I'm sorry it took a while to get to you all. Thank you for being patient.

* * *

 **Preview to next chapter:**

Maya's eyes widened as she noticed who was approaching her. What used to be the girls long, brown hair was cut short, which made her look older and she no longer had the look of a scowl permanently etched on her face, so at first sight, she looked approachable. "Missy?"


	6. Starting Over

**Sense and Sensibility**

 **A/N:** _Here it is! I have a few projects I am working on as of right now. One of them is an AU. I've come to appreciate the AU's for these characters. The Misfits have been super successful on here and especially on Tumblr- follow me! (blueyedpandas) But I have another AU in the works. I'll be submitting the synopsis on Tumblr and on the A/N of next chapter. I'm still working on the summary. I also have a Zayadora fic for you all coming up, which I'm really excited about._

 _This is a chapter of a new sense of friendship and the introduction of a brand new original character._

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count:** 3,600

* * *

 **Previously on S &S:**

 _Riley sighed, as she made a plate for herself, and she winced as she slightly touched the hot pan with her hand. Farkle rushed over before she could drop her food everywhere on the floor. "Hey don't worry about this. I'll finish making you're plate."_

 _She watched him as he finished putting the eggs on her plate, and he didn't have to look at her to know that she appreciated the help. She did in fact cook all of it for them. He knew fully well that she did it to occupy herself. He made his own plate, and was going to go for the coffee pot, when he noticed Riley had already poured him a cup. "Thank you Riles."_

 _Handing him his mug, she smiled. "You're welcome Farkle." She walked ahead, making her way towards the door to join Maya and Josh. The genius made it a point in his brain to make sure that what ever he did this week, he was going to uplift Riley's spirits. She was going to continue to smile and he wanted to be the one to help her do that._

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Starting Over**

 **Maya**

After a quick stop by Josh's apartment for his camera bag, Maya hiked to Topanga's on a mission to switch the chips in the camera and be out of there just as quick. Upon entering the cafe, she was instantly filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She absolutely loved the way the place smelt. It was homey to her. Riley's mom was standing behind the counter helping out a few customers at the bar.

Maya ducked into the back where the office was and was switching the chips when Topanga showed up et the entrance. "Maya, could you watch the cafe for twenty minutes? I have to go get Auggie from Dewey's. He has a fever." Though she really didn't want to, she nodded her head anyway. "Thank you so much. I'll be right back as soon as I put the kid to sleep." And she was out the door in an instant.

 _Where was Mr. Matthews?—uh Cory,_ Maya meant.

The blonde walked out to attend some customers at the register, and filled peoples mugs back up with dark and light roast caffeine. She also fetched some pastries and cleaned around the back of the counter.

She heard the door open once again, and she stood back up. Maya's eyes widened as she noticed who was approaching her. What used to be the girls long, brown hair was cut short, which made her look older and she no longer had the look of a scowl permanently etched on her face, so at first sight, she looked approachable. "Missy?"

* * *

 **Riley**

Riley didn't realized going to the gym with two guys, she would be pushed to the limit working out. She did her normal routine, but after watching Josh and Farkle do their sets first, she felt she need to step up her game and do double of what she normally did.

Josh had always been fit. He grew up playing baseball, so being active was already apart of him. Farkle hadn't become fit until the end Junior year, just before he got a job with the fitness staff. She was impressed by just fast how he kept up with Josh in his reps.

Today was their leg day, and they did a light core workout. Riley approached the squat rack and readjusted her workout gloves. She did her first set of ten and Farkle approached her. "How do you feel?" She rolled each shoulder back one at a time, not really knowing how to answer. She still didn't want to talk about it still. "I mean with the workout, Riles?"

"Oh, I feel fine. I've got four more sets of ten before I'm done here," she motioned at the machine. She avoided his eye contact.

Honestly, she felt sick this morning. Guilty. She had a feeling like Lucas was going to try and save the relationship if she asked him how to fix it. The look on his face said it all. He seemed to miss the dates and enjoy being back in the city. She realized this morning, after recalling dinner the night before that she might have made a mistake in ending things. But a part of her also felt free of the confusion, the wondering, the fear of something bad happening. The feeling of being stuck. But she loved him. She did. And that was the worst part. Because he could walk back in here and ask her to be his again, and she was almost positive she would say yes.

Almost.

"So what about boxing?" Josh asked Farkle, just as Riley approached them after her five sets of squats.

"Yeah, let's do it." The genius looked at his best friend. "You want to learn?"

She considered it earlier, but she thought about maybe just watching them for today. "I'll just watch you guys for right now. I need a breather."

Josh nodded, "Okay."

They made their way to a different section of the gym, through a hallway. Riley looked at the wall with the many bulletin boards of flyers and class schedules. Who knew there were so many different activities to do here? No wonder they kept Farkle busy.

They seemed to have the room to themselves. Riley sat on the section bleachers close to the rink, where she could see them well. The guys set up by putting their gloves on and stretching a bit. Not long after they were in the zone, boxing as if this was something they did all the time. they probably did do this a lot. This was Josh's home gym and the genius had a job here. Farkle seemed to know Josh's movements as well, and dodged and block almost every punch. And when each time one of them got the other, they would congratulate another, which Riley found comical and interesting.

The sound of a ringtone blared across the room. Riley looked over at Josh's bag and saw the name Mr. Renaldo's face. "It's the boss, U.J."

The young uncle hopped of the rink and picked up the call. "Hey Renny, what's up?" He walked off to the hallway. "Hey, hold on. Give me a minute to find the signal so I can hear you better."

Riley walked over to the rink and smiled up at Farkle a bit. "Having fun?"

"Yeah, it used to be harder in the beginning. Now it's something to look forward to," he held out his hand and she took it, and in one swift motion, she was up on the platform. Farkle was a lot stronger than she thought.

"You're good. You seem to know Josh's movements well."

Farkle shook his head. "Actually he's unpredictable at times. In the last six months since I've been helping out Chase with the self-defense class they do here, I've learned to block and dodge. I actually pinned Josh to the floor once while wrestling. I think he avoids the word now just because he can't seem get the movement right."

 _Josh being afraid of Farkle_. _That would be a sight to see._ The thought almost made her laugh out loud. "So, you gonna teach me how to box?"

"It's up to you," he stated.

She nodded. "Yeah, let's do it."

Josh came back in not long after Riley got her gloves on. "Hey, I have to go help my boss in Soho. I'll see you two later." He grabbed his bag and made his way out of the building.

Farkle glanced back at Riley. "I guess it's just you and me."

* * *

 **Maya**

Maya didn't know what to expect seeing Missy Bradford sit down at the bar in front of her, but she was sure that this could be a bad situation if not careful. "Hi Maya," the girl's voice was soft and cautious. "I didn't know you still worked here."

"I don't," the blonde was surprised she answered. She didn't even know she was out of rehab. "I'm just watching until Topanga returns." Silence. Awkward silence. She looked at the pot of coffee and then back at her high school enemy. "Can I get you something?"

"Just a coffee, with some cream and sugar." Missy twiddled her thumbs as Maya prepared her order. "How are you? How are you feeling?"

Taken aback by her comment, Maya shrugged her shoulders. "I feel great. Times get tough. I have my moments where I need to sit down, but otherwise, I'm feeling so much bett-"

"I'm sorry," she interrupted, as her eyes met the blondes blue hues directly. "Maya, I know I told you this at the courthouse but I feel terrible for how I treated you. Going to rehab made me realize that my life could be so much better without all of this stuff that I was doing. I hated myself and the way that my life was turning out that I forgot that I was going to be out of there and on my own soon. I could have left this city, this state and started a new. I was dumb and immature and acted out on my jealousy when I should have ignored it. I did wrong to you and Riley, and that's not cool of me. I'm sorry."

Just as she felt in the courtroom that long morning, Maya believed her sincere apology. "It's okay Missy. It's in the past," she gave her a small smile. "How are you doing?"

"Days are hard and since I'm not graduated just yet, my parents don't want me moving out of either home, so going back and forth is difficult at times. I'd rather stay with my dad, but in order to see our brother . . ." she eyed Maya nervously before continuing, "I have to visit my mom."

"Brother?" Maya asked, softly knowing now that she had a brother the same age as Olivia.

Missy nodded. "Holden. Two and a half months old. He's the cutest little boy." She looked like she was going to cry, due to the tears outlining the rims of her eyes. "How's your little sister?"

"Olivia is three months old and growing too fast. She need's to slow down," Maya chuckled.

The brunette nodded and bit the inside of her lip. "You know, I have a class with your half-sister."

Maya stopped wiping the counter and looked at her in curiosity. "My half-sister?"

"Kermit's daughter. She's a freshman and talented photographer. Apparently the creative arts run strongly in your blood. Rose looks just like you, except with light brown hair. But you both have the same blue eyes." Missy began to fidget with her fingers, just as she was before. "Seeing her everyday did not help the guilt I felt."

She was quiet for a few moments, unsure of what to say, but so sure of what she wanted to ask. It wasn't like she couldn't ask questions. Missy was here, basically offering her to ask. If she had not wanted to talk about it, she wouldn't have brought it up. Maya had always wanted a sister to grow up with, and she found one in Riley, but she wasn't blood. This girl was blood, but something was off. "Did you say she's a freshman?"

Missy nodded, confused. "Yeah, why?"

Maya shook her head. "My parents started having problems when I was six, and he left when I was seven. If Rose is 14, that means Kermit cheated on my mom when I was four. So we weren't just abandoned, we were cheated . . . Does Rose know?"

"About you? About your dad and my mom?" She asked and Maya wanted to know all. "Yes. She knows everything now. Though, she didn't know about you or who you were until the first week of school. Mr. Jackson has his room decorated in a lot of art, but most of the works are yours. She finds your pieces to be moving and inspirational. She and I had already met during the dreading meeting of the families. It was awkward the first time, and I thought she would be just as repulsed as everyone was towards me, but she came and took a seat next to me. So sweet and in that moment I had actually had a vision of looking at girl was the perfect combination of Maya Hart and Riley Matthews. It was so strange to me." She sipped her coffee. "Once she found out you were her sister, she had this look on her face like everything she ever knew about her family was ripped from her, and I couldn't help but feel so broken for her."

Maya considered the reason why Missy was trying to tell her this. Was it to inform her or to make her feel bad? No. She was giving Maya an offer. Was it possible that her half-sister, who is just as broken now as she was when she was seven years old, wanting to get in contact with her? Was Maya ready to look at the face of her own blood, Kermit's blood that had been coursing through her veins, that she so desperately tried to push behind her, and accept to acknowledge her? The sudden thought of what it felt like when Maya was dealing with the yelling and fighting from her parents, how she would lock herself in the closet, covers over her head, hands shoved against her ears, only hearing the muffled sounds of her own sniffles and the deep thumping of her own heart. How did she feel, not being able to talk to anyone about it until . . . Riley.

Riley Matthews has been her saving grace, her escape from the long, sleepless nights, the beautiful sound of her singing voice beckoning her to climb up the fire escape and through her window. She finally felt peace, even when her dad had left for good. Maya remembered looking up at the face of Cory, who never tried to replace her dad, but acted as loving and fatherly as he was to his own children.

But what did Rose have? Maya snapped back into reality. "Missy, if Rose ever needs someone to talk to—if you need anyone to talk to, I'm here." Maya debated on writing her new number on the napkin in front of her. "Now if I give you this, you're not going to send me hurtful messages, are you?"

Missy smiled sadly. "Not from me. No more. I've blocked everyone that I ever came into contact with that made me hate myself and my life. I think it's time to find friends who aren't going to pressure me into doing anything that I don't want to do, or be bad influences on me, and maybe some friends who will actually listen to me when I talk, instead of use me for my families money."

"Reinventing yourself. Not easy, but just be real." Maya suggested. "Don't put up a front or hide. Don't act like someone you aren't, because if you feel the need to hide who you are around people, then those aren't the people you should be hanging out with."

"You bring up a point," she chuckled. "I was a fake in high school, and middle school. I lied about so many things, you wouldn't believe. My favorite color, which really is pink, my favorite music to listen to is girl rock like the Go-Go's and The Bangles, my favorite TV show is is to this day is When I Met Your Mother, and so much more. I told everyone about the things that I liked, but not my true loves. I want friends who don't care about how much money I have and accept me because of the things that I like."

Maya laughed a genuine laugh, which was the first time ever in a conversation with Missy Bradford. "There is nothing wrong with you liking the Go-Go's or The Bangles. My mom listens to some of their music, and I'm totally cool with jamming out to We Got The Beat any day." She looked at the broken girl sitting in front of her and decided to do something she never thought she would ever do. "Look, I know it could be difficult in the beginning, but I'm willing to start over if you are. I can't make promises on Riley's heart, but I think everyone deserves a second chance." She put her hand out between them to shake.

Missy stared at the outstretched hand for a few moments, looking as if she wasn't expecting to have any grace for her past, but she gently grasped it. "Thank you, Maya. Starting over sounds nice. I'll definitely let Rose know. Maybe one day we could meet here and you could meet her. And our brother too."

Topanga walked back into the cafe, and behind the counter. "Hi Missy, how are you?" The woman asked as if she was a normal customer that had taken no part in any crimes of the past.

Maya smiled at her best friends mother. "I'll see you later Topanga," and as she walked through the opening to the counters, Maya nudged Missy. "And I'll see you around." The brunette smiled and proceeded to talk to the owner in what seemed like normal small talk between the two.

Maya's life had just gotten more interesting, and she was in need for some new inspiration.

* * *

 **Riley**

He was right. It was hard. Boxing took a lot of energy out of a person, but it was fun nonetheless. She started out simple, hitting a bag and learning the movement of Farkle was teaching her. She caught on a lot more quickly than she thought she would. Soon they were up in the rink, and she would hit each of the pads he held in his hands, and then he would challenge her to which she enjoyed trying to figure out his next movement.

After a while they sat in the middle of the rink sweating like she had never sweated before and began to talk about the most random of things like they did when they were back in high school. She remembered how much easier it was to talk about things being in the window where all of the friendships blossomed.

"You know, I miss the Bay Window," she stated. "My bay window. There are so many memories there. Too many conversations. I miss the way Maya would climb through any time she wanted to or we would already be having a conversation and you would show up out of nowhere calling out 'Ladies' or how Zay would come through my door for the longest time because he thought it was rude to come through a girls window, and Lucas, how he would wait hours and hours for me to get home, just so he could talk to me. It was the window where we all had our deepest conversations, confessions, talks, plans, and fights. It all seems so much harder to open up without being there."

Farkle's face was glossed with complete depth of thought. His expression hard to read, because it seemed to change every few seconds. "I know how you feel. It wasn't just a sacred place for you and Maya, but our whole group of friends. Though we have the bay window at our place, it's hard to let go of the past."

"But we have to, don't we?" Riley sighs. "There comes a time where we have to let go, and start over. But how? How do we do that?"

The genius moved to sit crisscross in front of her. "Well, I guess it's kind of like how we migrated from middle school to high school. The bench in front of your dads classroom was our spot during that time, and the hole where the Seniors dumped us freshman year became our place during those four years. The bay window at your parents will always be there, but you're the source. The meaning of the bay window will always follow you Riley. It will follow all of us."

"Do you think that because we've been away from our safe zone for so long, it might be the reason why we haven't been as close? As open with each other?" The look on her best friends face became clear, just as she asked the question.

He stood up and he helped her up as well. "What's going on? What did I say?" Riley asked.

Farkle looked at her with a smile on his face. "We're going home. It might be the middle of the semester, but a new chapter has begun. It's time to make our own bay window."

Once they arrived to the house, they had come across Maya and Josh in the kitchen who were having a small conversation. Riley grabbed Maya's hand and Farkle grabbed Josh by the arm, and they all ventured up the steps with two protesting, unaware of what was going on.

They all took a seat at the bay window in the loft. The sun was visible in the afternoon light, and the house was illuminated but the natural rays. "What's going on?" Maya asked cautiously.

"Is something wrong?" Josh questioned. "I only left you guys for a little over an hour."

Riley looked at Farkle who nodded to her. "Yes, something is wrong." Before she could startle them anymore, she continued. "We've all had a problem talking to one another. It used to be so easy to open up and speak about our day, our feelings, no matter how in depth we got. But that was when we were sitting my bay window back at my parents house." She grabbed Maya's hand. "It's been hard, knowing that we left our sacred spot, but we also knew that we weren't going to live there forever."

"So, we want to create a new spot." Farkle stated. "We're in a new chapter of our lives and we might be a little late on figuring it out, but it's time to remember the past as it was but live in the present and look towards the future. The bay window started out as Riley and Maya, then I came along, then Lucas, then Zay and Smackle, and then Josh, and now it's us four."

Josh smiled at Riley. "We are going to need a place to talk, and listen."

Maya nodded. "And a place to make decisions, and plan our diabolical adventures."

"So it's settled," Riley looked up and around at this spot created. "This is our bay window. " And each of the trio closed their eyes one last time, reminiscing the window of their past.

* * *

 **A/N:** ** _PLEASE READ!_** _It was hard for me to say goodbye to the old bay window, but they really needed a new place. Riley's bay window is so sacred in the show, like a symbol of their friendship. And I feel like without the bay window, where would their talks be? How would they have met? How would they have gotten as close as they are? So though they have moved on from living with their parents, I wanted to create a new place, and include Josh, because he is a main character of the story too. I hope you all liked it._


	7. Riley's Paranoia

**Sense and Sensibility**

 **A/N: PLEASE READ!**

 _Okay, so I know some of you were wondering if I had possibly dropped off the face of the earth. I promise I'm still here! I turned 20, then a few days later found out that my uncle passed away and have been with family for the last couple weeks and was swept away from my computer, but I'm back now._

 _I have had some time to clear my head and think about where I'm going next with this story. I do admit I've been having some writers block for filler chapters. I have a goal I'm wanting to reach, but the little things and supporting chapters are the only thing I'm struggling with right now that I have surpassed Riley's break up with Lucas and the aftermath of this. These next couple chapters I plan to focus more on Maya and Josh's relationship and another situation that is going to surface. This will be thoroughly introduced this chapter. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone with being extremely slow on updating, but I want to give you all my absolute best. So here is my next installment._

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count:** 4,892

* * *

 **Previously on S &S:**

 _"Is something wrong?" Josh questioned. "I only left you guys for a little over an hour."_

 _Riley looked at Farkle who nodded to her. "Yes, something is wrong." Before she could startle them anymore, she continued. "We've all had a problem talking to one another. It used to be so easy to open up and speak about our day, our feelings, no matter how in depth we got. But that was when we were sitting my bay window back at my parents house." She grabbed Maya's hand. "It's been hard, knowing that we left our sacred spot, but we also knew that we weren't going to live there forever."_

 _"So, we want to create a new spot." Farkle stated. "We're in a new chapter of our lives and we might be a little late on figuring it out, but it's time to remember the past as it was but live in the present and look towards the future. The bay window started out as Riley and Maya, then I came along, then Lucas, then Zay and Smackle, and then Josh, and now it's us four."_

 _Josh smiled at Riley. "We are going to need a place to talk, and listen."_

 _Maya nodded. "And a place to make decisions, and plan our diabolical adventures."_

 _"So it's settled," Riley looked up and around at this spot created. "This is our bay window. " And each of the trio closed their eyes one last time, reminiscing the window of their past._

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Riley's Paranoia**

 **Josh**

He huffed in his seat, just as the train attendant announced the delay in departing from Baltimore, Maryland. The waiting irked him, not only because this had happened several times before, but he had been gone and away from New York longer this month than he would have liked. Well . . . more like gone and away from Maya. He loved his job as much as he hated it. Being able to travel was nice, but it was the end of the semester that had been approaching and Maya wasn't able to get away with him unlike they thought she might.

Since Halloween weekend, he'd only been able to have dinner with her and her family three times and head straight home to sleep to be up and at the airport or train station for an early depart the next day. His boss claimed it was the cheapest way to travel. He didn't mind it, but he felt like he lost a lot of sleep over time. Josh had only gotten two hours of alone time with his girlfriend on a Sunday almost two weeks ago, but she too was busy that night running around, making sure that her homework assignments were all finished before 11:30 online and her stuff was prepped for the week. Her goal was to finish her general classes by the end of Spring Semester since she had taken a few duel enrollment classes her Senior Year of high school.

Josh admired her for her persistence.

He had made sure to ask for this coming week of Thanksgiving off completely, just so he could have time to recover in sleep and be able to spend some time with Maya and his family equally. They decided that this year, the big turkey dinner would be in the city. Farkle's parents invited everyone to their benefit dinner they were deciding to have early this year and Topanga felt relieved of cooking and frankly so did Josh's mother (Though she would never admit that aloud).

Josh felt lucky to be friends with a millionaire as humble as Farkle. He wasn't flashy about his family background and could honestly care less about the money aspect of it. He admired that his parents liked to invent things and were very good at doing business, but Josh could see that the genius was content with living as simply as possible. He noticed this just by hanging out with him more in this last year.

Upon hearing the invite, Josh was aware of how uneasy Farkle was. He hoped this had nothing to do with the hints he had been throwing out about family issues. Josh was afraid that the rich family might be hiding something behind their smiling faces and he felt bad for Farkle, who might end up getting caught in the middle of it.

Once the train left the station, it wasn't too long of a trip. These never were. It was getting closer to the evening and he was ready to get home on this Thursday night. He was off tomorrow, which meant he could sleep in as long as he wanted to. He smiled just thinking about his bed and the itch to persuade the engineer to move the train faster was nagging his brain.

They arrived just outside of the city and an Uber had been waiting for him, whom he had called just 30 minutes before the end of the trip. A guy around his age named Royce Porter drove him into the city and back to his apartment complex where Andrew probably would be upstairs eating dinner or just getting off work late (which was a normal thing for him).

Josh tipped the Uber Driver and lugged his duffle bag and computer bag up the steps and to the elevator inside the hallway that was to ascend him to the third floor. He shuffled for his hose keys, stuck at the bottom of his duffle and fumbled to unlock the door without dropping his computer bag (thank goodness for good insulation for his computer).

He entered and immediately inhaled the scent of autumn and Italian food, which was surprising. Was Andrew making dinner for Charlie?, he thought. Or was his best friend making food for himself? Josh lightly set his bags down at the door and walked down the hall and around the corner to find just the opposite of Andrew.

"Maya?" He asked in disbelief.

She turned around and he received a full teeth smile from the stunning blonde in front of him, just before she hurriedly rushed to give him a hug. There were no words that had to be said, for he wrapped her in his arms and remained there for minutes. After parting he looked around at the dim kitchen and then back at Maya. "Are you cooking spaghetti?"

"I kicked Andrew out and told him to go bother Charlie for a few hours. He didn't put up much of a fight. I hope that's okay?" Her blue irises grew in hopefulness.

Josh chuckled. "Are you kidding, coming home to a relaxing, romantic dinner with my beautiful girlfriend—without roommate interruptions?" He leans down to kiss her softly. "I couldn't be happier."

They ate at the dinning room table and he talked about his week trip in Washington. "It was interesting. I actually ran into Smackle in the Air and Space Museum yesterday. Apparently she works as a tour guide three afternoons a week. They have to be involved in the city in someway, and while most of her classmates are from the area and working as interns to their parents, she had to improvise and they were offering a position to guide people around and sprout facts and answer questions."

"That's right up her alley," Maya said. "I'm glad that she is thriving in the Capital. She's motivated to do her job and I have no doubt she'll make it to be one of the top engineers in space craft someday."

"The Smithsonian is huge too," he continued. "Much larger than the museums here in New York. And there are so many artifacts in the maze of exhibits. You would have loved it. I wish you could have gone with me."

She nodded. "I know. Well, one day you can take me when you go back and I'll be able to visit then. In the meantime, I'll clean up. You go take a shower, because I know that you're dying to and we'll watch a movie."

"Don't you have class in the morning?"

She shook her head. "Mr. Gaffney is sick with pneumonia and Mrs. Davies left for her Thanksgiving Break in Columbia today so tomorrow is free!" She grabbed his empty plate and gave him a look. "Now go clean up Mister."

He smiled in amusement. "As you wish Madam." His walked into his room and to the other side where the bathroom was and turned on the shower. As he stood under the water, he could feel all of the stiff muscles that had been cramped up in a train for the last six hours loosen and relax. He washed himself off, including his hair and got out soon after, not wanting to leave his girlfriend alone for so long. He brushed his teeth before opening his drawer for his sweatpants and white Beatles t-shirt he hadn't worn in a while.

Maya was drying a few dishes and flipping through the channels at the same time trying to find the movie channel. "Why do you have so many Spanish-speaking channels?"

He chuckled. "Andy set up the plan. I'm not really sure what channels we have. I mostly watch Netflix. You know that."

She put the last bowl in the drainer and washed her hands. Josh sat on the love seat and Maya joined him almost immediately just as she found the channels she was looking for. "What do you want to watch? They're playing some old horror movies on this channel. Oh what about Back to the Future? I haven't seen this one in forever."

Josh said nothing, but looked at his girlfriend admiringly. The glow of the tv lit her face up and made her look like an angel illuminating the couch. His heart was full knowing that she had prepared a meal for the two of them and made time out of her busy schedule to be with him, even though she could have gone home to catch up on some sleep herself. Her eyes turned to meet his and she asked softly, "what?"

He lightly took her arm and pulled her closer to him. "You're amazing. Thank you for being the best girlfriend a guy could ask for."

She leaned in to kiss him and it seemed like the world dissipated around them. This happened way too often. Her lips felt so soft on his and he could tell she put a few mints in just before he walked out, which made his stomach flutter. Come on Josh, he thought to himself. Get ahold of yourself. You've been dating for a while now. You should be used to the way she makes you feel. That was a lie. Josh didn't think he would ever get used to the feeling he felt when he was with Maya. That excitement as she cupped his face in her hands and her thumbs lightly caressed his cheekbones. Maybe it was that taste that left him craving for more of her.

Maya moved to position herself to straddle his lap and his hands rested on her waist comfortably. This was not the first time they had ended up making out on his couch, but these last few times they had been getting more comfortable with one another physically and that scared him. He knows that he shouldn't be but in his last experience being that physical with a girl, he barely remembered the night and it wasn't the most pleasant experience. He didn't want to disappoint Maya in anyway, but he also didn't believe that they were ready for that step. He didn't want to rush or make her feel pressured in anyway to move quickly.

His lips moved from her mouth to her jaw and down to her neck. Her fingers ventured up into his hair and the soft touch made him shiver against her. A groan elicited from the back of his throat and she pressed slightly harder on him, letting out a shaky breath herself from the touch of his lips. Her skin was so soft and she smelled of lavender and mint. "I missed you so much," she stated as he pulled back. "I love that you love your job and I love that I love school, but I miss being around you for hours at a time."

Her forehead made contact with his own. "I missed you too, Baby." Josh wished they could take a break from life and head out of the city. Then he thought of something and he couldn't give an answer as to why he didn't think of this before. "The cabin," he whispered and she gave him an odd look. "After the semester is over with, let's go—just you and me—to Shawn's cabin for a night or two."

She smiled softly and bit her bottom lip. "I would love that." Her expression dropped a little and he had thought he'd seen this a couple times during dinner.

Josh rubbed his hands that were on each of her thighs lightly. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Maya shook her head. "It's something that I probably shouldn't be worrying about. It's not like I expected a call by now right?"

Josh immediately picked up what she was telling him. "You think Missy forgot to give her the number? Or do you think Missy just took your number for herself to have it once again? I'm not sure if I trust her."

"Missy wouldn't do anything like she did last time. Besides, I've been talking to Topanga. Missy is in the cafe all the time talking to her and my mother. They've had no problems and have seen a change in her demeanor. I'm not gonna go trust her completely, but I'm not going to shun her when there is a chance to redeem herself as a good human being."

He got it. He understood that. If he were Missy, he'd want a second chance as well. "Well, if you're meant to meet your half-sibling—if you still want to, because you don't have to meet her or have any contact with her just because Missy was talking about it. But if it's meant to be, life in some way will connect you and you'll cross paths."

Maya leaned to lay her head in the crook of his neck. "You're right. I shouldn't sweat it. If she wants to contact me, I've passed on the information to do so."

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Josh could feel his eyelids drooping. He was purely exhausted and was dying to crawl under his covers. "Are you staying the night?" His voice was soft.

She picked her head up. "Do you want me to?"

Josh kissed the tip of her nose. "I don't mind at all." Maya turned off the TV and climbed off her boyfriend. "We're not finishing the movie?"

"No. You're exhausted and too nice to tell me that you just want to sleep. You need your rest, and the good thing is, we'll both be able to sleep in tomorrow." She stretched out her hand and he took it gratefully, following her footsteps to the bedroom. She was already wearing her comfy clothes, which she wore all the time when they were just hanging out here or at her place now, since Josh had told her that we thought it was hot when she wore his clothes—or that's what Josh noticed at least.

He fell straight forward onto his bed savoring the comfort and then he rolled around to let Maya slip in right beside him, cuddling into his comfort. He smiled lazily at her, the fog of sleep draping over him. Just before his eyes closed completely, he whispered in her ear, "I love you."

He wasn't she if it was the coolness of the air-conditioning or his words, but he could feel her arms prickle in goosebumps. Josh couldn't see though. His eyes were shut now, and he was just about to drift when he felt her lips lightly press against his own. "I love you too."

This was the perfect way to end his Thursday.

* * *

 **Riley**

She tossed and turned all night long. It had been like this for the past couple of weeks. Riley was up late doing school work, in panic to finish her assignments on time and write the best of the best papers to maintain her top grades, and on top of all that, she was beginning to think her brain was playing tricks on her.

Yes, maybe she was hallucinating . . . that could happen with loss of sleep right? She had this eire feeling that someone was always hovering over her shoulder and when she turned, no one was there. Of course she believed in Demons and other things. She had her personal beliefs but this was just down right strange. She was a good person and shouldn't be thinking like this, but there was also Dillon.

He was still quiet, but always staring at her. He would make advances to talk to her, but Riley was never alone, especially at school. She was standing with Farkle or Yindra after classes and she never studied by herself unless she was at home. She worked better in groups or at Topangas with Maya just like her normal routine in high school.

Riley believed that Dillon was shy, and waiting. Why waiting? Waiting for the right moment to act. These thoughts became more relevant this past week, and that was dangerous. She studied this in Psychology Junior year. This would be considered a psychological change in her thought process and possibly her behavior.

And it wasn't that she thought she was crazy, because she could actually see that she was being followed by Dillon at times. Not always, but it became so often that she just felt like he was always on her tracks. And a change in behavior was beginning to surface to others around her.

Two weeks ago, she and Maya went to a small party at the Gamma Gamma Nu house with Charlie and Jasmine, who both became sorority sisters in their Junior year. They had been invited to hang out while the alumni mingled with their past sisters. It wasn't so small of a party that nobody was there, but a bunch of fraternity guys crashed half-way through the night and that's when the panic started.

Riley wasn't planning on drinking, but she decided to actually enjoy herself being newly single. She couldn't remember much after a few drinks, but Maya told her she was paranoid and more so than usual because Riley was a person that could get slightly paranoid about things, but she wasn't as obsessive in her later years of high school. But when Maya told her the next morning she was freaking out about someone following her, Riley was afraid that she saw Dillon or someone who looked just like him.

After eating breakfast with her blonde best friend, she decided to go to the gym to find Farkle who was working. After her workout and he was off, she asked him if he could teach her some self defense, just them two. She noted that he was worried about her asking this of him, but she reassured him that it was just to detour the guys at parties who hit on her. She wasn't wanting him to worry about her if she was being followed, because she wasn't even sure if she was or if that it was just a coincidence that Dillon was going the same direction as her. There was just no need to say anything if there was nothing wrong.

But there was something wrong now.

She was leaving her last class when Yindra grabbed her arm. "Riley, I don't know if I heard right, but I heard some guy talking about you right outside the girls bathroom. I didn't see who it was, but he told someone that you moved to the Upper East Side last summer. I couldn't figure out if he was someone we went to school with and he just happened to know where you live, but I would be careful going home today."

"You don't think it was Dillon, do you?" Riley asked worriedly.

Yindra pursed her lips. "I thought that. I don't know what he sounds like though. He's never participated in class discussions to speak." She put her hand on Riley's shoulder gently. "I would just be on the lookout for anything strange. Call Farkle or Maya."

Riley took a shaky breath. "Thanks for letting me know, Yin."

"Of course. You're my girl. I got your back."

The brunette was left in the hallway with her thoughts. She thought about everywhere she could go and looked down at her duffle bag. She had debated earlier on whether or not she was going to go to the gym after class, but something inside her told her to take her bag anyway. She smirked and thanked the universe, God or whoever was looking out for her and made her way out the building, on her way to Chelsea.

If she thought she was paranoid before, she must have looked like a maniac to other people. Riley scanned her surroundings, and saw no one of suspicion. Then she made her way down the steps of the subway station. Just before getting on the train, she looked around once more. No one. While she waited for the people to board, she caught a glimpse of a guy around her age step on at the last minute. Her stomach dropped. Dillion. She inched down the side of the cabin and turned to get off and catch the next one, but the doors closed and she curse loudly in her mind.

She never turned her back around, because she was afraid that he would notice her. Maybe if she stayed facing this direction, he wouldn't recognize her from the back. Bull shit, she thought. He's following her. He sits behind her for crying out loud. He probably knows how many hairs are on the back of her head.

Her heart rate picked up and she was on the verge of panic and claustrophobia, and she had never suffered from being in small spaces before, unlike Maya, who couldn't bare to be in her closet getting changed for a long time. Riley counted the seconds, and in the midst of that, she felt movement behind her. She chided herself from looking back, but she caught him staring at her and she nearly wanted to scream on the inside. He wasn't standing but three feet away from her, but once the train stopped, she was the first one out the door, hoping with everything in her that he would get lost in the ocean of people.

Up the staircase and out into the cold fall air, she breathed in and felt slightly better, but her feet never quit moving. Not until she walked through the doors of the Sports Center and slid into the girls locker room.

She placed her back against the wall and let her nerves calm down. Then she changed and instead of doing her normal routine, she went straight for the boxing gym. She had been here almost every night, so it felt normal to her when putting on her gloves and going straight at it. She let it all out her anger and fear. It got to the point where she took her gloved off and used her hands only. She practiced the maneuvers Farkle taught her with a dummy and with air.

Riley lost track of time, when she her footsteps come from the entrance. Her best friend stood there bag ready to workout himself. "Hey, I thought I saw you run in here earlier. You up for a partner?" She nodded gratefully and he got himself ready.

In the beginning he went easy on her, then she got good. She was able to dodge his attempts and catch him when he wasn't expecting it. But that's because she knew Farkle and his way of fighting. He wasn't bad or predictable, but she studied his body language and the way his arms would twitch before he used them, and his facial expressions.

After their normal boxing time, they began to work on some self defense. Riley hadn't meant to go into her thinking mode as they were working, but she thought about how close she was today of possibly being in a situation she couldn't imagine herself being in. She never wanted to admit to anyone she was scared but she wanted to defend herself if something like this happens. So she was a tad more forceful today.

Then finally she was turned to where her back was facing Farkle and she felt defenseless in the sense of having nothing but her hands to help her. She closed her eyes and she imagined herself on the train once again, this time unable to escape. Panic filled her body and her heart rate went up. Her shoulder was grabbed and she acted so fast and maneuvered in a way she had never moved before, and she didn't realize this until the person on the ground below her was staring up at her urgently and fearfully. Farkle's eyes were wide in shock and Riley jumped to her feet in disbelief and guilt.

"Oh my God Farkle. I'm so sorry. I don't even know how I did that. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" She asked quickly panicking that her best friend would blow up at any second.

Instead, he stood up and caught his breath. "I'm okay. The question is, are you?" She didn't understand and asked what he meant by that. "Riles, you have never looked at me the way you just did. I've been worried about you for a while now, and I've let it slide, knowing that I am helping you in some way, but that was scary. You need to tell me what's going on."

"I think I'm being followed," she said breathlessly in defeat.

His blue eyes grew big and it seemed like he had a million questions pop up into his head and Riley was preparing herself to answer every single one of them, but the only question he asked consisted of one word that would trigger her to tell him everything. "Followed?"

She nodded. "His name is Dillon. This creep who is in my Humanities class. For weeks I've felt like he was following me, but I wasn't sure. He could have been heading in the same direction as me because the dorms are on the same route I take to go home. But he stares at me and gives me weird vibes. Today, Yindra was in the girls bathroom fixing to exit when she heard a couple of guys talking about how I lived on the Upper East Side now and so I decided to take a train here, instead of going home, risking to be followed when no one is there. And he got on the same train. Complete opposite direction from the dorms. That's when I knew he was following me. I could just tell by his attempt at getting closer and closer to me. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you Farkle. I thought by telling you would be speaking something out into existence and I didn't want to worry you about something that wasn't really anything." At this point tears were in her eyes and Farkle approached her.

His icy blue irises held a look of pain. Then he did something he had never done before. His hand lightly went up to caress her cheek, and he brushed the tears from under her eyes away. His hand was so warm and soft and her eyes fluttered shut and he leaned in to his touch. That was a new feeling and she was unsure of how to think of it. Farkle then brought her into a secure hug. She enjoyed whenever he hugged her, because he didn't hug many people. But he always hugged Riley and she liked that they had that close knit friendship where his hugs were reserved for her and Maya their other friends.

"I had no idea that it was this that was bothering you, Riles. I remember you telling me about him slightly at a party just before you and Lucas broke up. He tried to get you to leave with him just before we left. I almost punched him in the face, but he backed off once you launched yourself at me."

She stepped back. "I was drunk. I don't remember that."

"I know. We left immediately." Farkle never stopped looking at her, but her head hung low. "Riley, I want you to know that I would never let anything happen to you. You are a person that I would kill for and risk my own life for. You don't have to be afraid to tell me anything even if it ends up being something we shouldn't have worried about because it's better to be aware then not know anything at all." His voice was a little more stern. "Riley, if something had happened to you today, and you weren't fast enough to react, I would have never known this information, and would have no idea how to help you. And if something happened to you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself . . ." She looked up at him and he hesitated slightly before continuing, "Maya wouldn't know what to do with herself. You're parents, your brother, Josh." He approached her again and hugged her. "Please don't keep information in like this again."

she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed. "I won't. I promise." She could feel him rub her back softly and she felt more safe than she had felt in a long time. She wished to stay in his arms forever . . . feel like this . . . she definitely meant feel like this. What was going on with her?

They parted and decided to pack their stuff up. Just before leaving, nudged her on the way out. "I know that I've been take down by you before in junior high and high school but that was because I always let you. What you did today was down right impressive and I definitely didn't let you win that time." He chuckled. "You're turning into a bad ass Matthews." She looked at him and he winked at her playfully.

She normally would banter back with him, but she didn't know what to say. It was a weird and strange day and she hoped that tomorrow she would wake up and this new feeling would be returned to normal.

Riley assumed she needed sleep. She yawned. Yeah, sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Okay! So next chapter I'm going to going into Farkle's feelings a bit. As you read, Riley now is experiencing a change in perspective with her friendship in Farkle and you will see this developing in the upcoming chapters. I do have a goal for this story and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again, I am so sorry about the hiatus I took. But being an adult and having family priorities took me away from my hobbies. You'll see the next chapter soon!_


	8. Thanksgiving Troubles

**A/N: PLEASE READ!**

 _So this hiatus thing has been going on for way too long! But the semester is over with! YAY! No more exams or papers for the next three months, which means I can write to my hearts content!_

 _Also in the life of Amanda, I'm moving! I'm moving away from my hometown for the first time and so it's an exciting, and scary experience, but I'm ecstatic for this new adventure of life._

 _I've been working on Chapter 8 for some time now, and I hope you like it._

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count: 7,007**

 **Previously on S &S:**

 _Just before leaving, nudged her on the way out. "I know that I've been take down by you before in junior high and high school but that was because I always let you. What you did today was down right impressive and I definitely didn't let you win that time." He chuckled. "You're turning into a bad ass Matthews." She looked at him and he winked at her playfully._

 _She normally would banter back with him, but she didn't know what to say. It was a weird and strange day and she hoped that tomorrow she would wake up and this new feeling would be returned to normal._

 _Riley assumed she needed sleep. She yawned. Yeah, sleep._

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Thanksgiving Troubles**

 **Farkle**

All he wanted to do was hide. Was it possible to get out of the city for 48 hours just to avoid a situation that was most likely to go south no matter what happened? He walked home in the cold, not caring that his fingers could be frozen by the time he arrived to the town house. The air was piercing cold and his nose felt like it could be cut off and he wouldn't feel any pain.

Farkle was angry and the last thing that he wanted was to be around family for the Thanksgiving holiday, specifically _his_ family.

As he entered the front door, he was greeted with two pairs of worried eyes. "Farkle!" Riley exclaimed, moving around the island to get a closer look at him. "I've called you 7 times in the last two hours. Where have you been?"

He patted his jacket pockets and his pants and cursed under his breath. He must have left it at his parents house. "I'm sorry, I guess I left it at mom and dad's," he tried to say as casual as possible, hoping they wouldn't catch on to his sharp tone and figure out his inner feelings, but it wasn't possible. For Maya, sure. She would ask him if he wanted to talk about it, and when he would deny, telling her that it wasn't the right time, she would nod understandingly, and remind him that she was there.

Riley was the opposite. Bless her and her loving heart for wanting to try and fix every situation. He loved that she would go the distance for him to be happy, and put herself on the back burner, but he felt like sometimes she would waste her time on these little things, and sometimes big things that she would never be able to fix. Recently he hadn't felt like he was worth going the distance for, but of course he wouldn't tell her that. She would deny it completely, and he'd feel like on of those people who was fishing for compliments.

"What took you so long to get home?"

"I walked, ditched the subway to clear my head," he admitted. "Today was rough in class." He lied, hating himself for keeping this small secret from the two people that he cared most about.

Maya leaned forward on the bar stool, knitting her eyebrows in curiosity. "But what about your car? You drove to class this morning."

"Oh I did, didn't I?" He shrugged, defeated in words. He really had no explanation for that. "I'll take the subway back to get it. I guess I've just been so used to walking that I completely spaced on leaving my car."

He turned to head back towards the door before Riley grabbed his wrist spinning him around. "Oh no you don't," she stated. "You're going to kill yourself in the weather out there. Your nose is red, your cheeks are pale, and your hands are freezing. You can go tomorrow after class."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay mom."

"We're just looking out for you, Freckle." Maya stated. "You look like you've had a frustrating day. College can do that to a person. Especially because we have three weeks till exams." She hopped off the stool and grabbed her bag. "I'll be closing the store tonight, so don't wait up." She turned back to Farkle and smiled, before walking out the door. "Cheer up, Buttercup. There are two days till Thanksgiving and we all have a lot to be thankful for."

I'm only thankful for two families, he thought.

And neither one of them was his own.

He just got out of the shower and put a towel around his waist, when he entered his room. He grabbed some sweats out of his drawer, and a long-sleeve t-shirt and heard a knock on the door. "Hold on," he called out, getting dressed.

Farkle opened his door, to find Riley with two mugs of hot chocolate, silently asking to talk. This was their thing, hot chocolate and company. No matter if they spoke to each other, or just sat there, exchanging glances in a non-awkward silence, it was nice to have the company.

He took the mug from her and they walked over to the bay window. It felt strange being in a new place to have talks, but it felt just like home, especially if Riley was sitting there. He meant what he had said to her the day they were boxing. She was the life-source of the bay window. The place only had meaning because she gave it meaning. Maya found a source of life the day she was searching for something better than the darkness she was living in. Farkle was greeted with open arms after befriending the girls at that dress up birthday party Riley had and the window was always their spot to play games, and enter a world Farkle believed was paradise.

But that spot wasn't theirs to claim anymore. He looked up at the new window and out onto the beautiful balcony below them. It wasn't normal, but he reminded himself that Riley was sitting beside him. "The color has returned to your face," she commented out of the silence they had been sharing.

"I thank your amazing skills at making the best hot chocolate ever," he chuckled, nudging his cup to her.

Her smile was brighter these days, and less stressed. Oh how he missed that twinkle in her eyes she would display on a regular basis. It was the same intoxicating expression that made it the most difficult for Farkle not to imitate. "So are you really going to tell me whats wrong?"

He knew this was coming. The last thing he wanted to do was dump his problems on her. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

"I know you Farkle Minkus. There isn't much you can hide form me. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I've been trying to be more patient and less of a pushy person, but I want to help if I can. I'm here to listen." Her voice was always one to make him spill his heart out. He gotten better at resisting over the years, but it was still difficult at times.

Farkle raked his fingers through his hair, a nervous tick, he always thought. "My parents are fighting," he stated, his voice low.

"How long?" She asked softly.

"It started after Hawaii and slowly got worse. Now they can't seem to be in the same room without something offending the other, and I get caught in the middle of it," he set his mug to the side and he stood up. " And they want me to go to their Thanksgiving party for the company tomorrow night and fake a smile for the papers and the magazines. I can't do that. It's hard being in the same room with them together."

Riley touched his arm. "I'm sorry Farkle. I didn't know things were going that far south with them. You gonna go to the party?"

"I have no choice. If anything goes wrong, my dad's business could go south and he'd find some way to blame me for it," Farkle dropped his head.

Riley was silent for a few moments, which scared Farkle. Normally she would immediately have a response and it would be something along the lines of cheering him up, or comforting him. He patiently waited for her voice, not looking at her straight on. He didn't know exactly what was going with him lately, but he has noticed a difference in his behavior, as well as Riley's. Since her breakup with Lucas, she's been more vulnerable, but determined. Quieter, but fierce, and sometimes Farkle could see her insecurities rise when they shouldn't and her confidence get the best of her, in situations her normal self wouldn't normally have.

Among all of this, he was finding himself to be more aware of her presence and concerning of her opinion. He hadn't felt like this in a long time, since . . . middle school, he thought. Sure they were close throughout high school, but he was in a relationship with Smackle the last half of the eighth grade and throughout the rest of adolescence. Riley had Lucas from freshman year till a few weeks ago, which turned her eye as well . . . not that it had any affect on Farkle, he was sure . . . somewhat. The point his thoughts were getting to, were the little changes he has noticed in both of them, and he was unsure about how to approach this. Even their moment in the boxing gym the other day was something to think about. He doesn't ever remember wiping a tear from her cheek like that. Her person was Maya.

Farkle was never one to be jealous of their friendship, but he wished he had friendship as close as they were. Smackle and him were close, but they were so much alike. It never felt like it was true love. He only realized that recently, months after the breakup and how much weight was lifted off of his shoulders, knowing that he wasn't going to break Smackle's heart. He just didn't think that his heart would be broken for so long. He forgave her. He did. But that was when he accepted the fact that he wasn't in love with her. He loved her as a friend and he always did and always will, because they were close, but it wasn't in relations to being in love. He hadn't had that experience, yet.

He and Riley's moment was brief, but something he hadn't felt in a long time, that was so odd, but so natural came to surface, and the only thought that came to his mind was, _oh no_. If there was anything that could not happen, it was this. Feelings. Feelings for a girl who would never return them and it wasn't that he thought he was unattractive to her, but logically, this would never happen. They were best friends, and that's all they would ever be. It had to stay that way. For the sake of his sanity, and to maintain friendships across all levels.

He decided to take a glance at her and noticed her expression was in thought. She looked like she was calculating numbers in her head. Her fingers were taping one by one against her thigh and he realized that she was indeed counting. Farkle smirked at his intuition and being able to read Riley like a scene in his favorite book.

"What time would this party be?" She asked in over dramatic curiosity.

He suppressed a chuckle. "It starts at 7."

"Formal, or?"

"What do you think?" His eyebrow cocked on one side.

She wiped her hands on her oversized t-shirt. "Formal, so we could be there for a couple hours, and then cut out after your dad does his speech, and grab dessert at my parents."

"How do you know my dad makes a speech? And _we_?" He asked.

The look of " _you've got to be kidding me"_ rested on her face. "Anytime your parents host a benefit, party, or any event that entitles a lot of people attending, your father gives a speech. And if you want, I'll go. Keeps your from being bored out of your mind, and gives you a reason to check out early, if something on my end were to come up and force us both to leave," she shrugged.

He studied her face and had thought about how much he appreciated this offer. "You are my best friend ever. Thank you, I—" he caught himself. "I really appreciate you, Riles."

This had never been an issue. He had always been able to say "I love you" to Riley without it being a big deal, now it just seemed different. He wished this feeling could go away, but a part of him didn't want it to.

"Of course, Farkle. I'd be happy to help you anytime," she smiled, lightly placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm always here, if you need me."

He sucked in his lower lip. "I know, and please take your own advice and know that I'm here too. I know that things with this Dillon kid are bothering you, and I want to help."

She nodded. "I'll talk to you. Don't worry."

And they sat the rest of the time sipping on their hot chocolate, looking out the window admiring the lights of the bustling city, awaiting the next night, which came too quickly and not as pleasant as they wished.

* * *

 **Josh**

He stood in the mirror and debated on whether or not he should have gotten that hair cut. His palms were sweaty and he couldn't seem to figure out the reason why. Josh looked nice, in his dark jeans and hunter green button up. His hair looked a little messy, but he thinks it had to do with the constant raking of his fingers through it.

"Oh my man looks sexy," a sweet voice came from the doorway. He turned to see his gorgeous girlfriend, who was looking a little extra gorgeous tonight. "You look stressed, Hun. Is something wrong?"

It was times like these where he wished they didn't have to go anywhere. He took all of her in. She too wore a dark shade of green in her dress. It was the type of dress that vas conservative of the most part, but when walking, it hugged her curves just perfectly. He had to look down at the floor to divert his thoughts from other things. He sat down on her bed. "I'm okay, just unsure of the night were going to have."

"I've been thinking the same thing," she admitted, walking forward and checking herself in the mirror. "This is our very first family gathering together as a couple and were meeting both sides of our families. I can see how nerve racking this is going to be." He didn't think about how she might be feeling the same way too.

He stood back up and walked up behind her, holding her waist and she leaned in to him. "But we have each other," he whispered in her ear. His lips barely grazed her ear lobe, and he made contact with the side of her neck. The slight puff of air she exhaled at the feeling, made him smirk. He trailed all the way down her shoulder, connecting with the top of her scar that would be apart of her forever.

She turned in his arms and looked up, longingly into his eyes. Josh couldn't resist her bright blues and before he could do anything, she pulled him down by his collar, colliding their lips together in urgency, as if they had been apart for ages. She ran her hands around his torso, pulling him closer, and his hands traveled down to the curve of her butt, grabbing it gently, because he was a gentleman. But Maya didn't seem like she wanted to have nothing to do with that tonight, because she broke the kiss and pushed him back on her bed.

Everything responsible left Josh's brain, and the only thought was the lingering scent of lavender that Maya was wearing that evening. She straddled his waist, which caused her dress to hike up a bit, she pushed against him, making him groan and he connected their lips again. She swiped her tongue against his lower lip and he immediately granted her access. Kissing Maya was the highlight of his day, and he would be more than willing to stay with her the rest of the night, instead of attending a family gathering that was sure to be insane.

Josh fell backwards and she hovered over him giggling at the possible alarming look on his face, before moving her lips on his jawline down to his neck, giving him goosebumps. He was shocked by his actions, but a soft moan elicited from her mouth when he ran his hand softly up the side of her leg and squeezed the inside of her bare thigh, and continued the soft motion. She glance at him with this look of wonder like, "why haven't we done this before?" And Josh took note of this and would remind himself that she enjoyed this feeling. His hands were back at her waist just as he flipped her over to where he was hovering over her. The strap of her dress was already hanging loose off her shoulder, where her scar was in clear view. He leaned down and placed his lips on her and she shivered at the touch.

Just before he was going to throw all his plans out the window, the door slammed shut, and startled them both. They looked at each other and it seemed to resonate that this was probably not the right time what so ever to begin this.

"Let me know when you are decent!" A male voice exclaimed, and Josh breathed a sigh of relief knowing that his niece wasn't the one to catch him and Maya in this position.

They climbed off each other and situated themselves, before Josh opened the door. "Sorry, Man." Josh could feel his face heating up.

Farkle looked at him amusingly just as Maya showed up next to him. "You better be happy Riley wasn't the one to catch you two. She'll be here in a few minutes though. Next time, make sure the door is locked or do your monkey business elsewhere."

Maya's face was tinted pink. "Okay well, let me straighten myself up and we can head out," she stated, making her way toward the bathroom.

Josh glanced over at Farkle, who was getting himself situated, and he looked nervous too. "Hey, you doing okay man? You look nervous."

The genius shrugged. "I'm just not looking forward to this dinner with my parents. The last thing I want is to be in a room filled with their friends and act like everything is completely normal." He glanced at the floor and immediately looked back up. "You might want to fix yourself, Dude."

Josh glanced down at his defined sensitive area and cursed at himself. He tried to think of anything else other than Maya, but it was extremely difficult, so he carried on a conversation, while moving around the island to cover himself. "It's getting worse? I thought they were resolving things?" Josh only knew about Farkle's parents difficulties because of helping him move his things back in June, but he never thought the arguing would still be going on. The look on Farkle's face told him he wasn't wanting to talk about that, so he decided to change the subject, "so Riley is going to go with you?" Josh asked, wondering how that came about.

Farkle nodded. "She thought that her tagging along might take my mind off things and it would give me an excuse to leave early and join you all. I'm just happy that I have someone I'm close to going."

"Are you sure you're not happy that someone close to you is going or is it because Riley is going?" Josh asked.

The genius raised an eyebrow. "I am happy that Riley is going with me, but that isn't why your asking me is it?" Josh shook his head. Farkle sighed. "It's not like that . . . it can't be like that." The last half of that sentence was left in a whisper, which Josh had caught, but he decided not to say anything about it.

Maya walked out of the room, completely composed and Josh thought it would be a good idea to go fix himself up as well. Which he is certainly glad he did, considering his lightly pink stained mouth area. He took a glance at his trousers and noted that he had cooled off a bit, but it wasn't enough. He washed his face with cold water, and readjusted his belt in attempts to hide it.

Once returning to the kitchen, Riley was there, already dressed in her cream colored dress that made her look like a woman instead of a teenager, admiring Maya and her attire. Josh joined them and looked at Farkle who was trying not to smirk at the two. Though the genius could find Josh and Maya's relationship to be interesting at times, due to certain situations, he was happy that they were happy and Josh was happy he approved of them.

Riley smiled so brightly and held her hand to her heart. "Oh! Don't you both look so good together!" She grabbed the polaroid on the counter and held it up. "Smile!" And Josh didn't hesitate to put his arms around Maya lovingly for a picture. She leaned into him and his little issue and he instantly knew she was now aware of what took him so long in the bathroom.

They took a couple more photos and Maya exclaimed, "We have to take some of you and Farkle! This dinner party has got you both looking super fancy, which doesn't happen often!"

The genius hesitated a little before Riley smiled, gliding into him and he placed an arm around her shoulders. They took a couple photos in different poses and they let them all dry on the island. "Alright, we should get going," Josh stated. "This shall be a fun night."

"So much more fun that ours, I bet." Farkle claimed.

Riley glanced at him. "Oh don't be a Debbie Downer Farkle, we are going to make the best out of tonight!"

"Have fun, you two," Maya said as they were walking out the door. "Text me when you both leave for Riley's parents."

Farkle nodded. "We will, we'll see you both later."

* * *

 **Farkle**

They rode to the dinner party in silence for the most part, until going over the Brooklyn Bridge. Why does his parents insist on having a dinner party at the apartment in Brooklyn? He's not exactly sure why. Farkle's dad had Lionel, the driver pick them up at the town house, which the young genius thought it was just to make up for the last outburst argument between the family. He fiddled with the bottom button on his coat, trying to decide on whether or not he should tell Lionel to drop him and Riley off at her parents instead.

"So how have you been Mr. Farkle?" the driver asked, creating the small talk they used to have.

Farkle coughed. "I've been doing great. School is actually fun now, getting to study what I'm interested in, and I get to live with my two best friends. It's a good life." He smirked slightly at Riley. "How are you, Lionel? How's your family?"

"Very well. Rita entered seventh grade this year and now is talking about her first 'boy-friend' which is ridiculous. She's too young."

Riley giggled, and her eyes found her best friends. "Does she have good friends?"

"Oh yes, Miss Riley. Her best friend Briana is completely opposite of her, but they are two peas in a pod. Not to mention her other two friends Simon and Josh who come around every so often."

Farkle and Riley couldn't seem to look away from each other. "Is Simon smart?"

"And Josh athletic?" Riley asked, finishing Farkle's question.

Lionel chuckled. "Actually no. Simon is athletic and Josh is a genius. He very much reminds me of you, Mr. Farkle."

"Only with a better name," he chuckled.

Riley scoffed. "Oh, hush. Your name is great. It's unique, just like you."

"And Rita reminds me of you, Miss Riley. Always the most popular, sweetest and first to build her friends up." Farkle could see the light brighten in her brown hues at the drivers comment.

She fiddled with the end of her dress. "You know Mr. Lionel, I went on my first date in the seventh grade. It was a double date with friends."

"Is that so?"

She laughed. "Yeah, Farkle and Maya joined me and Lucas, made my dad feel much better about me going."

"Hmm, well both boys are very much gentlemen, and I don't have a problem with Josh. If he's anything like Mr. Farkle, I think I'm okay with Rita and her crush on him," Lionel stated, which made Farkle glance up to the front.

"Wait," Farkle began, "you mean that the genius could get the popular girl?" He thought it was a stereotypical thing to say, but normally the genius was the last to get the girl. Not very many popular girls go for the science guys. It's alway the the jerseys, the lettermen's that get the girl so easily.

Lionel chuckled deeply. "Why yes Farkle. You geniuses always doubt yourself. You are and have always been a fine looking young man, and you'd be surprised at how many girls like a man with intellect. Don't you agree with me, Miss Riley."

She nodded. "Yes, I do. Though some girls might have to realize this later on, normally it's the smarter guy who gets the girl in the end. Rita is smart, liking the smarter guy right now. Not that there is anything wrong with athletes, but she is going after loyalty first hand. And if Josh is anything like Farkle, then he'll be loyal till his very last breath."

Farkle so desperately wanted to read into what she was saying, but with Riley, it seemed so difficult to do that. Because she was so sweet and affectionate. "You have too much faith in me Riley."

"No, I have just enough," she smiled at him and he couldn't help but want to smile back at her.

"So Lionel, Riley's parents are having a family gathering tonight and we were thinking about leaving the dinner party after my dads speech to go and spend time with her family. Would you be able to driver us to her parents?" He asked.

Lionel was quiet for a few moments. "I'm so sorry Mr. Farkle, but I was given instruction to take a few people home just before dessert. If I would have known you and Miss Riley were going to leave early, I would have called to let you know to drive your own car. I'm very sorry."

Farkle sighed slightly. "That's okay Lionel, you don't have to apologize." He sat back in his seat, quiet the rest of the trip, his thoughts on a revolving loop.

Once arriving to the building, the block was bustling with people in fancy attire, including huge fur coats. Lionel parked on the side of the block, getting out of the drivers seat, running around the back passengers seat, opening the door for Farkle. He got out very smoothly, and held out his hand for Riley to grasp as he helped her out of the car. She smoothed out her skirt and bundled up in her thick coat as she thanked Lionel for the ride.

He shook Farkle's hand and bowed slightly to Riley out of courtesy, though he didn't have to, and got back in the vehicle to park elsewhere. Just before Farkle motioned, for Riley to continue walking, she turned towards him. "What's on your mind?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You seemed so light and content and then after Lionel told you he couldn't give us a ride to my parents, you looked angry. What's going on? Because I don't want you to walk in there with that expression on your face."

He sighed. "Lionel never drives people other than me and my parents, unless my dad orders him to just to make me stay wherever they are. So that means that we'll be either staying at the party, walking our way back to Manhattan or walking five blocks to the subway station and I know how you feel about that one here."

"Yeah, I know. What about an Uber?"

He licked his lips. "I thought about that too, but with the weaving of traffic, and the police around, they're only going to allow party and local traffic in."

She shrugged. "We could tell the Uber to meet us outside of the perimeter. Besides, I know an Uber driver who could pick us up."

He nodded, not caring how they got out as long as it was safe, and with that break in and shooting last week, he wasn't sure he wanted to be in a situation like that and most definitely wasn't going to put Riley in that situation either. "Okay. I'll let you know when to call for the Uber. It will take us about 15-20 minutes to walk down and out of the perimeter." They continued walking up to where the steps were, before he stopped her this time. "Riles," he began, lightly grabbing her wrist and pulling her close to him for an embrace. "Thank you for coming with me tonight. You didn't have to, but I'm glad you did."

She wrapped her arms around his torso and put her head on his shoulder. "Of course Farkle, I know you'd do the same thing for me." She looked up at him and smiled. Their faces were so close he could smell the light scented perfume coming from her neck. "Now cheer up buttercup, we're going to make this night better for you."

And it was. For the most part.

Riley was the best partner/date (Farkle was unsure how to interpret her coming with him tonight as) a guy could have. She was so kind and a light that shined in the whole crowd. Most of Farkle's parents friends got to meet Riley before, along with Maya, Lucas, Smackle and Zay at other gatherings and events, but with it just being Riley and Farkle tonight, he was asked several times if Riley was his girlfriend. He kindly replied no, but some of the businessmen would leave smirks across their faces, making Farkle wonder what was so intriguing about their set up tonight.

Dinner was as usual, very elegant and not anything of Jennifer Minkus. She claims to help out on some of the recipes, but Farkle knows better. She does that to sell her cooking appliances. The young genius wrinkles his nose, as he hears his mother talk about the stuffing Liza most likely made, but was no where around to take credit. This was the kind of thing that saddened Farkle, because it was people who were so inconsiderate and full of themselves and their own personal gain of wealth and status that the people who are the true artists and creators, are walking in the shadows deserving more than what they are getting.

After the main meal, the band began to play classical music, which wasn't his favorite, but it reminded him of the pile of homework he would have to finish before the weekend was over with. Instrumental music was his studying music, or the music he listened to when he wanted to fall asleep. Many of the guests were grabbing partners, and Farkle hesitantly looked at Riley, noting that her eyes were already on him. He could vaguely see a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, but she tried to hide it well. He figured it wouldn't bother him to ask, so he surprised himself at how fluent and smooth his offer was. "Would you like to dance?"

This seemed to surprise his best friend too, because her mouth parted slightly and her eyebrows were raised, before she quickly turned her expression softly. "I would love to."

He stood up, offering his hand to her, which she took so casually, as if this was something they did every night. They walked over to the dance floor and she placed her left hand on his shoulder and he suddenly became very aware that his right hand was wrapped around her waist, fingers grazing the small of her back. Their linked hands were lightly clasped together, and they moved slowly to the music.

They had never danced like this before, together. The last time they danced, it was fast paced, and they were surrounded by two hundred other peers. Riley was also still in a relationship with Lucas, so their dancing was very less intimate and personal. They moved so smoothly, Farkle was surprised that Riley hadn't stumbled. "You're less of a klutz than I thought you'd be," he chuckled.

She scoffed playfully at him, "I have you know that I've grown into my legs, Farkle Minkus." Her eyes glanced at him suggestively, before she started giggling. It was the same sound that always clouded his thoughts, and made him forget why he was ever made at the world. He wished that feeling could last forever.

But of course it didn't. His dad walked out onto the stage after the first song ended and tapped his glass of champagne. Riley and Farkle stopped dancing, but in order for everyone to fit, on the floor without bumping into each other, the genius held her close to his side.

"Good evening, my friends, colleagues, gracious . . . employees of mine. On behalf of my beautiful wife Jennifer, and my son Farkle, we would like to thank you for being here tonight . . ." Farkle was seriously beginning to feel uncomfortable. He hadn't said much to his dad tonight, but the slurring of Minkus's words were alerting Farkle.

Farkle could feel his grip tighter around Riley's waist and she looked over at him with sadly. He had a feeling she was trying to think of something comforting to say, but he wasn't sure what good it would do. But she didn't say anything. Instead, her hand that was placed on his shoulder moved to the back of his neck, right where his hair line is and he could feel the soft motion of her fingers, relaxing his muscles, easing his anger. Something so simple, but comforting. His grip loosened and he looked over at Riley apologetically. She gave him a half smile and he leaned over slightly to whisper in her ear. "After he's finished, you can call the Uber. I'm ready to get out of here." She nodded lightly, never easing up on his neck.

". . . Now besides business, we're all here to have some fun, aren't we? Look at all you lovely people . . ."

Farkle looked at Riley who was glancing up at him already (they'd been doing that a lot lately). "Is your dad . . . drunk?" If she noticed it . . . Farkle took a glance around the crowd and noted that they saw something different in Stewart that night as well.

" . . . This year is going to be a year full of surprises! I can see it now! I can bet next year will be completely different for all of us," he looks over at Jennifer, who is eying him—daring him to open his mouth any more. ". . . look at my beautiful wife . . . isn't she just beautiful?" His voice sounded longing, as if she was leaving, and he desperately wanted her to stay. "We married 19 years ago, just before Farkle was born. That's an accomplishment, I'd say. She gave me meaning to life in the darkest of times, at the lowest point of my life, the support through the business, and she gave me my handsome son, who grew up to be an amazing human being." Farkle's eyes darted in between his parents, wondering where his father was going with this speech, fearing the outcome. "And I gave her back just as much, and my heart with it." The slurs were worsening, due to his emotions.

Farkle himself was breathing twice as fast and he waited for the finishing line. Stewart looked back at Jennifer, with the hurt and all the pain in the world. "And you don't love me anymore." Gasps filled the room and Farkle felt Riley stop all of her motions, completely in shock. "You don't love me anymore and—" just before he could finish, one of his colleagues grabbed the mic from him, trying to give the crowd some sort of explanation, but Farkle wasn't having it. He grabbed Riley's hand and guided him through the crowd and passed his father, making his way out the door.

Just getting their coats on, and down the steps onto the street, Jennifer stopped her son. "Just where do you think you're going, young man?"

"Anywhere but here," he stated.

"You can't leave," she stated, sternly.

He turned toward her real quick, and his expression must have scared her because she stopped. "Oh yes I can. I'm an adult now if you hadn't noticed. I don't live with you or dad, and I can do what I want." She was about to make a comment before he stopped her. "Just don't, mom. I can't handle this. You know how emotional dad can get. You did this. You caused him this pain, when he gave you everything. Everything you could ever want. And now your family problems? Their out there for the world to see. And I'm included in that. How am I going to look to the college board? To my peers? I can tell you what, it's not going to be good. So I'm leaving. This is your wound to sow. Not mine."

He left her there in the cold, walking down the road beside Riley who made a quick call to her friend with the Uber. After she hung up, nothing was said. The only gesture she made was to grab his hand and squeeze it tightly.

The young Minkus wasn't sure how to process this. His family was tearing apart, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He knew his father was upset, but he couldn't imagine how bad it must have been in the last 24 hours, especially if he was willing to drink as much alcohol as he did in order to gain enough courage to speak that. And the thought of his parents relationship crashing and burning hurt Farkle. As much as he wanted the pain to go away and the yelling to stop, he wanted them to work through it and love each other again, or his mother to love his father again.

They were all he had as family members here in New York. His grandparents were in Philly and he could always count on them to be there for him, but it wasn't the same. There was nothing like watching your mom and dad, who were so close to each other as he grew up, to now falling apart.

His heart felt heavy and he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. He didn't realize he was crying until Riley was in front of him, with her freezing hands on his face, thumbs brushing right underneath his eyes. Then her hands were gone, instead she pulled him down by his shoulders and hugged him tightly. His forehead met in the crook of her neck and the perfume she was wearing practically made him weak in the knees. Her hand motions on the back of his neck started again and he was instantly calmed down. He had to suppress a groan of how good it felt, and instead he took a deep breath and the hand which he noted were wrapped tightly around her waist was pulled back to rest on her hips. He lightly pushed away from her and he gave her a soft smile, or quirked one corner of his mouth up to her, letting her know that he was okay.

They continued their walk down the street, until Riley grabbed his wrist, motioning the car parked on the curb next to them, with a brown haired girl leaning against the back passenger door, was their Uber for the night.

Riley smiled, "Laurel!" She wrapped her up in a hug. "Thank you so much for coming to get us! I hope we weren't an inconvenience to your night?"

"Absolutely not!" He voice was sweet and reminded Farkle or how Riley speaks." My family dinner isn't until tomorrow, so you have saved me from a few hours of boredom. I thank you." She giggled and Farkle couldn't help but smile. She looked toward the genius and he felt himself step back slightly at the brightness of her dazzling blue hues. "Hi! I'm Laurel Dolterra and I will be your Uber driver this evening!"

He coughed and stepped forward, shaking her petite hand and introduced himself. "I'm Farkle Minkus and thank you for picking us up."

She blinked for a moment. "Farkle Minkus as in Minkus International? That big building in Manhattan?" He nodded slightly, unsure of what else to say to the pretty girl. "Wow Riley, I didn't know you were friends with a New York Celebrity?"

Riley looked at Farkle and smiled affectionately. His stomach always seemed to be doing somersaults when she looked at him like that. "He's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without him."

Laurel smiled at the two and shivered to the weather. She opened the car door to let them both climb in the back seat. "Let get moving its freezing out here!"

After Riley gave her the directions to her parents, she sat back and Farkle took this as the perfect time to look at his roommate. She was already looking at him and he was beginning to love this thing that was developing between them. It felt like it was very similar to her and Maya's thunder and lightning phrase.

Farkle put his hand on top of hers and squeezed, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Thank you for being my best friend, and for being there for me tonight. I seriously don't know what I would do without you."

She didn't say anything, but he could see the soft smile on her face and the faint blush on her cheeks. That was enough to comfort him for the rest of night.

* * *

 **A/N:** _So I hope you guys liked the chapter! I you have any suggestions for the future chapters, please don't be afraid to leave a review! Again, I apologize for keeping you all from reading, but I'm really excited for what's to come in my life and in the story! I also have a few one-shots on the way and coming up with a synopsis of another story that will be in the works soon. Just working on the whole outline of it. You'll see the next chapter soon!_


	9. A Step-cousin and the Sister Comparison

**A/N: PLEASE READ!**

 _Hello my beautiful readers! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I told you the next chapter would be up soon! I had started to write this before I posted the other one, because of the weird Wi-Fi problem I was having, and I was going to add a preview to the next chapter, but I was so excited to post when the Wi-Fi came back on, I forgot to add it. My bad, but this chapter is up in a week! Yay!_

 _Okay, so this chapter is somewhat awkward at first. I got the idea from another fanfic I was reading a while ago from another fandom, and thought of how interesting it would have been if Maya and Josh were in this situation. I also don't think this had been in any GMW fanfics and would be interesting to see what you guys think. The end of this chapter is really sweet because I absolutely love writing little Markle moments! They are a great duo._

 _Also, I know that Alan has an un-nammed brother and Amy had no siblings mentioned, but I gave them a few, for different purposes. I hope you all enjoy!_

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count:** 6,357

* * *

 **Previously on S &S:**

 _After Riley gave her the directions to her parents, she sat back and Farkle took this as the perfect time to look at his roommate. She was already looking at him and he was beginning to love this thing that was developing between them. It felt like it was very similar to her and Maya's thunder and lightning phrase._

 _Farkle put his hand on top of hers and squeezed, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Thank you for being my best friend, and for being there for me tonight. I seriously don't know what I would do without you."_

 _She didn't say anything, but he could see the soft smile on her face and the faint blush on her cheeks. That was enough to comfort him for the rest of night._

* * *

 **Chapter 9: A Step-cousin and the Sister Comparison**

Maya's palms were sweating. Josh might've been dreading going to the family gathering, but she was far worse on the inside. This would be the first family gathering she attended as Josh's girlfriend, instead of Riley's best friend. On the other hand, Riley would not be showing up next to her, unlike all the other times, so this would be a very different experience.

She wasn't sure why Josh felt so nervous, and it made the feeling in her stomach unsettling. He was holding her hand as they rode the elevator up to the apartment. She studied him, chewing his lip and rubbing his fingers together with his other hand. Maya stepped forward and stopped the elevator. "What's wrong?"

He looked at her quickly. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Boing, you're nervous, you were dreading coming tonight . . . why? It's not like we haven't been in the same room as your family before. Is there a reason why you're nervous showing up with me in front of your whole family?"

He sighed softly and turned towards her grabbing both of her hands. His expression read an apology even before the words came out of his mouth. "No, I would show up anywhere with you on my arm, because I have the most beautiful girlfriend on this planet. In fact, I'm not nervous because of you showing up beside me. That didn't even cross my mind. It's not just immediate family going to be here, but distant relatives too. There's someone that is going to be here tonight that I'm not looking forward to seeing. The last thing I want is for there to be awkwardness and a scene break out. Not what I want during a family reunion."

Maya's expression hardened, as she thought about this mystery person. "So this nervous thing has nothing to do with me?"

His right hand went up to caress her cheek. "Absolutely not." He leaned down to kiss her softly, and she melted into his lips. She thought about the situation they were in earlier and broke the away from him in a giggle. "What?"

"Nothing," she hit the button again and the elevator moved. "Let's meet some family." The elevator opened to the floor of the Matthews and Maya stopped Josh once again before reaching the front door. "What is the name of this person you are nervous about seeing?"

He didn't even look at her. "Selina."

 _Oh. A girl,_ Maya thought dreadfully.

* * *

They were greeted with a numerous amount of hugs. Maya looked around the room and noticed that there were a lot more people than she thought that could fit in the Matthews home. She and Josh were immediately separated due to the incoming of family members. Maya hugged her mom and dad, and planted a little kiss on Livvy's cheek, when Cory gave her a hug and welcomed her (Maya quickly noticed that Topanga was finishing up dinner in the kitchen). After she was cleared from her family, Josh's parents both tackled her in an embrace and the conversation broke out.

Josh introduced her to his Aunt Lisa and Uncle Brad (she put a side note in her mind to remember that Lisa was Alan's sister and Brad was her husband) and his Uncle Grant (Alan's brother) and Aunt Sandra. The Matthews all looked like one another and then she met the Seniors.

Josh guided her over to two people, who were far older than everyone else. "Grandma, Grandpa, this is my girlfriend, Maya."

Maya smiled and stuck out her hand, when she was pulled into an embrace by Grandma. "Oh Maya! It's so nice to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you over the years! From Riley and her parents and now Alan and Amy and of course, Joshy here." The blonde looked over at Josh and smirked. His expression read that he gave himself a mental face palm in regards to his grandma calling him, "Joshy."

His grandfather was a bit harder to read, and just as her mind was telling her to run, he smiled so genuinely, holding out his hand for her to shake. She took his hand and he clasped his other on top of hers. "It's very nice to meet you Maya. I hope my grandson is treating you well?"

"Always the perfect gentleman," she looked at her boyfriend and then back at the older couple. "It's very nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you both. Riley tells me that you have incredible stories," Maya mentions to his grandfather. "And she also mentioned that you can make the best pies," she looked over at his grandmother.

They smiled and emerged themselves in a 10 minute conversation, when the couple decided that it was time for them to find a more comfortable seating, rather than the bay window in the living room.

Josh looked over at her in awe after they left. "You knew that about my grandparents?"

"Of course," she said. "Once Riley told me they were coming, I wanted to know a little about them. Plus Riley is always talking about her great-grandfather and his never ending stories and how much she loves to eat apple pie made by your grandmother."

"She's right though," he said, taking her hand in his. "My grandpa has some super comical stories and stories that'll scare the wits out of you." Maya looked up at his bright blue eyes and sighed. If only they weren't surrounded by all of these people . . . "I could kiss you right now," he said, as if reading her mind.

Maya stood on her tippy toes and whispered in his ear. "I'd do a lot more than just kiss you, Joshua."

She swore his face turned red in seconds, and a half smiled appeared on his face as he tried to not turn a darker shade. "Oh, don't get me started Hunter. That's not fair."

Taking a step back she looked at him with her eyebrows cocked in the air. "Not fair? How is that not being fair?" She playfully cliched at him.

"You're challenging me," he said, with a dark look his eyes. It was the same look she saw the night he asked her to be his. It was the longing look, and the look that made her go weak in the knees.

She was going to say something, just before she was interrupted. "Hey Josh," a guy about Josh's age said, and then looked over at Maya. "Hello, beautiful woman."

The look on Josh's face, told her that he was annoyed by that remark, not because he disagreed with him, but probably because this guy meant more than just a sweet comment. Maya smiled sweetly and greeted him friendly. Josh stepped forward. "Maya, this is my cousin Billy. Billy, this is my girlfriend Maya."

Billy's eyebrows cocked to the roof. "Girlfriend eh?" He looks at the two amusingly. "Selina is not going to be happy."

Josh blinked. "I don't care what Selina thinks, if you've forgotten."

Billy playfully hit Josh on the shoulder. "No, I haven't forgotten. Selina might be attractive, but her stuck up personality and neediness is what keeps her out of a relationship."

There was going to be more to comment, but a girl, between the age of Maya and Josh came up and put her arm on Billy's shoulder. She was tall, like Riley and had long, curly black hair. Her skin was the color of hazelnuts, golden brown and flawless. She had curves in all the right places and Maya instantly felt intimidated by her, knowing that she was a very attractive girl. By her features, the blonde knew she wasn't related to the Matthews."Was someone talking about me?" _Conceded much?_ Her eyes drifted over to Maya's boyfriend. "Hi Joshua."

The tight feeling in her stomach erupted at the way this girl

said his name. Maya watched Josh carefully. He looked a bit shocked to see her, but his expression continued to look annoyed. "Selina," his voice was short.

Before he could say anything else, she stepped forward and stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Selina, you must be Maya, Josh's best friend that everyone keeps talking about."

 _Friend?_ Maya glanced over curiously at Josh and just as he was about to intercede, she put her hand up to stop him and then grasped Selina's hand. "Nice to meet you." Maya was a nice girl, and curious about this one, she wasn't going to spoil the truth just yet about her and Josh's relationship, she wanted to know what was going through Selina's head. "It's nice to meet Josh's cousins finally."

Billy smiled with all teeth showing. "Yes, its great to-"

"Well Josh and I aren't blood related," Selina interrupted abruptly, as if it was very important for Maya to know that fact. "He might be considered family due to my mom marrying his uncle, but we are most definitely not related."

Maya felt awkward and she could definitely see why Josh was dreading the meeting tonight. His step-cousin has a crush on him and it's weird. Just as Maya was about to finally come out into the open about her and Josh dating, someone came tumbling down the steps. "Uncle Josh!" Auggie yelled and before he could reach his uncle, the eleven year old spotted the blonde. "Maya!" He ran past Josh and into Maya's arms as she embraced the only little brother she ever had.

Josh scoffed at his nephew. "Traitor!"

Maya stuck her tongue out at Josh and Auggie quickly turned around. "Sorry Uncle Josh. I see you a couple times a week, but since Maya stopped working at the cafe, I never get to see her."

"I'm sorry, Bub. I'll have to stop by here more often and see you. I've missed you." She stated. "You get to see Riley though right?"

Auggie nodded. Then the voice of Selina appeared once again. "Oh yeah, where is little Riley? I haven't seen her in a long time."

"Um she's with our friend Farkle in Brooklyn for a benefit party. She'll be here later on," Maya stated.

Selina looked surprised. "Her parents let her do that? Isn't that dangerous?"

"What do you mean? Brooklyn might be a little rough in some areas, but she's with Farkle and a personal driver. They should be fine."

"But Cory and Topanga actually let her go across the city to a party? Don't they have reigns on their children?" She looked at Auggie. "Sorry."

Auggie eyed her for a moment. "Selina, how old do you think my sister is?"

"Thirteen, fourteen?"

The little boy laughed. "No way! That would make her only two to three years older than me. I'm eleven! Riley is seven years older than me! She'll be eighteen next week!"

The attractive girl smiled apologetically and shrugged. "Like I said, I haven't seen her in a long time." She moved over slightly, bumping into the shelves with pictures on them. A picture of Riley and Maya with their arms draped over one another, while eating hotdogs on bleachers. "Is that you, Maya?"

The blonde smiled. "Yeah, that was taken about eight years ago. At Josh's baseball championship in Long Island. It was the first time I went camping with them. Riles and I got sick off of hotdogs after that."

"And that's why you don't eat hotdogs," Josh nudged her.

"It was a very bad stomach ache," she remembered, shivering at the thought.

Selina smiled. "You guys are so cute. Are you and Riley the same age?"

"Yes, she is my best friend. If not for her, I would never had met this family."

"But she's at a benefit tonight?" A nod. "With a mutual friend?" Another nod. "And you weren't invited to this party?"

She nodded. "I'm never formally invited to those events, but I normally go as one of Farkle's guests. There were five of us who tagged along back in high school, but now it's just the three of us. I could have gone tonight, but I wanted to be with Josh, so Riley decided to with him."

"Oh, interesting." Maya was sure the girl was going to interrogate her with more questions, but they were all interrupted by Cory clapping.

Thank God, dinner was ready.

Dinner was delicious, as always. Topanga slaved over food all day and it was gone in a matter of minutes, but she was great at making a badass meal. Maya, who was sitting across from her reached out for the fierce woman's hand clenched it tightly. "Thank you so much for an amazing meal, Topanga. You really know how to make an incredible turkey."

Topanga smiled brightly, and looked incredibly relieved. Maya look next to her at Josh who nodded along still chewing on some food, so he motioned with his hands and made facial expressions to show how much he loved the food he was eating. This made both Topanga and Maya laugh, even Cory, who was sitting across from Josh.

"So-Cory," it was still weird calling him that, "how is the school year going?"

He sighed. "Not as much chaos and drama as having you, Riley, Farkle, Lucas, Zay and Smackle in class, but I miss how much fun it was to watch you all grow and figure out life together . . . and me being able to help you all figure it out. It's been a good year though. I have a great set of students, all going through the same stuff you all went through, but it won't ever be the same."

"I still wish you were teaching me. Though partially I'm in classes I love, I'm still trying to figure this new teaching style . . . not to mention, I'm in a room of 300 other people for lectures which is sometimes difficult to learn," she mention. "I miss learning life lessons from you too. I feel like sometimes I struggle, and I think Riley and Farkle both agree with me on that one."

"I'm glad I've made an impact on your lives Maya," Cory took another price of turkey into his mouth, along with some dressing on the side. After he finished, he put his silverware down, wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at his prior student. "But I'm still here for you all. All of you. Even if Lucas flies in from Texas, Zay from Miami, or even Smackle from Washington-which would be when the earth crumbles, but that's beside the point. If you all ever needed anything to talk about school or personal, I'm always up for home lesson!" He put his hands up, and Maya smiled. "The same goes for Josh, the same goes for Auggie when he grows up and leaves, and Ava and little Doy," Cory put his hand on his heart, to express his fondness of Dewey. "I'm here."

Topanga put her hand on his shoulder. "And so am I."

Maya grabbed Josh's hand from underneath the table and linked their fingers, before looking at the two people who she had as honorary parents for so long. "I adore you both."

"We love you too Maya," Cory smiled and so did she.

Josh squeezed her hand and she looked over at him. He wore a smirk on his face and winked at her. She couldn't help herself, but she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. She didn't know why this feeling of gratitude came over her, but she was happy.

"Have you heard from Riley?" He asked.

She licked her lips. "Not yet. But she told me she and Farkle would be on their way after Mr. Minkus finished up his speech." She took another bite of corn casserole, made by Amy Matthews herself. "They should be on their way soon. Normally they eat right away and just before they serve dessert, Stuart gives his speech and sometimes it's long and full of information about the company or sometimes it's short and comical."

"Been there enough?" Shawn chuckled from beside Cory.

She shrugged. "Yeah, but normally during the speeches, I'm at the buffet table with Zay getting my share of those sweet potato turkey meatballs they serve every year that never fail to satisfy my tastebuds." The portion of the table who heard her, laughed lightly at her comment.

"And Zay fought you for some too?" Her mom smiled.

Maya laughed at the memory. "Actually, freshman year he was stuffing my purse with them for us to snack on after. Then the next year, I brought plastic bags."

Katy giggled and pointed her finger at Maya. "Now who taught you to do that?"

Maya closed her eyes and nodded her head in confirmation. "You did."

Shawn looked at his wife. "And where did you learn to do that?"

"When my co-workers invited me to parties, I always wanted to take the food home, so one year I brought a few plastic bags with me and when no one was looking, I would sneak some," she shrugged. "The caterers made sure there was plenty made for the event, so it really matter. The food would be eaten for sure."

"My wife, a thief." Shawn looks at Maya. "My daughter, a thief." He looks at Olivia, who is being played with my Amy, who sits to Topanga's right and points to her. "Now you can't do the same. I will no allow you to turn into them." They all chuckled at his antics and they all finished dinner.

Soon they were all scattered around the apartment once again and Maya was in a conversation with Morgan (who was bouncing Chasity Grace in order to get her to sleep) about school, while Josh was two feet from her talking to Dave and Billy. Selina joined the girls and it seemed like the brunette was following the young couple around and practically fought with Billy to sit on the other side of Josh during dinner and won out of spite, which annoyed Maya profusely. Thankfully Josh had most of his attention on his brother in front of him, and Eric who was sitting next to Maya, stuffing his face.

Selina smiled, "so Maya, how long have you been around the family?"

And on with the interrogation. "I met Riley when we were seven."

"Schoolmates?"

Maya shook her head. "Actually no. I heard her singing from the street outside. I was a curious child, and I liked the sound way better then my mom and my biological father yelling at each other, so I climbed the fire escape and crawled through her window. She's been been my other half since then."

Selina looked relived for some odd reason, and she smiled brighter than she did before. And she was about to comment, when Morgan sighed, "Well that doesn't look good."

Maya followed her eye sight to the front door, where Riley and Farkle entered. Her other half looked worried and Farkle tried his best to hide his humiliation face. _Damnit_ , the blonde thought. She knew something was wrong with her best friend. He had been frustrated and angry all week and she thought Riley was playing a dangerous game last night when she went to interrogate him, because though Maya wasn't home, she knew that's exactly what Riley did. Maya's boyfriend looked at her and narrowed his eyebrows asking her what happened.

The two friends found Maya and walked towards her, but they were blocked by family members for hugs. Shawn walked up to Josh and asked him to run down to the convenient store with him at the corner for some more milk and creamer.

Josh turned towards Maya. "I'll be back." He looked over at his niece and Farkle. "Go easy on them."

"I'll be delicate, but intent on finding out information. Looks like a job for the original window." She stared over sadly, then looked at her boyfriend. "Be safe on your walk, Hun."

He smiled sweetly and bent down to her. "We will." He firmly kissed her lips and then her nose, leaving her in a light-hearted giggle.

After he walked away, Maya looks back at Morgan who was smiling so wide and Selina, who looked like someone punched her right in the middle of her face. The blonde was trying not to laugh at the realization, and though she's not the person to relish in other people's jealousy, but Maya was very pleased that she finally got the guy, and he chose her.

Riley and Farkle finally made it to her, and she pointed at them both. "Bay window. Bay window right now." And they looked at each other, and had a conversation with their eyes, but agreed. So Maya took both of them by the arm and dragged them into Riley's old bedroom.

* * *

 **No Ones POV (Slightly Farkle's and a hint of Riley's but turns into Maya's)**

Upon entering the room, they all stopped. It seemed like all of the memories came back to them. As of this moment, it had been six months since they all had been sitting in the room together.

Maya flashed back to the first time she met Riley, and all the times they talked, laughed, and cried. Even all the times Maya and Riley would share the bed during sleepovers and one of them would end up falling off by dawn and their movie nights filled with Netflix binge watching of funny tv shows, teen dramas, chick flick movies and horror films. She missed the comfort of this place.

Farkle thought about the times he would use the window as an entrance into the apartment rather than the door. How many conversations he would have with both of the girls and sometimes just Riley all by herself. He also couldn't forget the times he, Lucas and Zay would crash on the floor in her room after long study sessions during finals, while Smackle would sleep in the bay window and Maya would fall asleep next to Riley in her bed. He remembered the times back in middle school and he was convinced he was in love with them both, and couldn't believe how much he had grown and what changed over the years.

Riley made her way to sit down in the bay window and closed her eyes, remembering how she shed a few tears before leaving the room. The room where all of her friends sat and discussed everything. Where she met her best friend, where she would cry to Farkle, and kiss Lucas. This place was hard to leave but they all knew it was time to move on. But that didn't mean that they couldn't come back every so often.

Maya and Farkle had joined the brunette and there was silence for a few more moments. "So," Maya began, "what is going on? I've let you be for a while, but something is seriously wrong and I know that Riley knows, so please don't keep me in the dark."

Farkle sighed sadly. He looked only straight forward, his face flushed of color and his eyes were trying so hard not to tear up. "My parents are fighting."

The blondes heart dropped. If there was anything that she never wanted her friends to go through, that was dealing with parental divorce. Her hand was lightly placed on Farkle's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Farkle. Did something happen tonight though? I mean you both looked pretty shaken up walking in." She looked at Riley beside her who hadn't said a word. She found Farkle's eyes and he oriole's for her to speak. He couldn't find the words to say.

Riley stared at Farkle with a pang in her heart. She looked at Maya. "They've been fighting since we left Hawaii. They've kept it behind closed doors for a while and in the beginning Farkle noticed it very little, but recently, he's been seeing it every time he visits for dinner. Last night was the first night he came home so angry, he forgot that he had driven. Tonight, we thought that it would be normal between them because they're surrounded by so many people, but Stuart started drinking." She looked at Farkle and he looked down. "In his speech tonight, he confessed that that Jennifer didn't love him anymore. We walked out after that. Jennifer tried to stop us from leaving but Farkle snapped at her and we left."

Maya felt for him. That must be why he looks so humiliated. "Please don't look at me like that," he said. "Yeah, I'm upset right now and I feel embarrassed, and this will be in the tabloids tomorrow, but I can't let this get to me. I don't live with them anymore and I don't need the two people I care about the most and who care about me look at me like I'm someone that needs delicate attention. I'm a big boy. This will pass."

Riley gripped his hand. "It will. We know that, but we're here." He looked at their hands for a moment and enjoyed the comfort of a friend, before he looked at her face. There was something different in their friendship, but it wasn't the right time to think about that. He squeezed her fingers to acknowledge what she was saying. She stood up and looked at the clear class illuminating their reflections. "I know it's tempting, going out the window, just like you've done a million times before," her eyes found him. "Please stay."

"I won't leave," he said.

"Promise?"

He nodded. "I promise."

The brunette made her way out the door and Maya rubbed her fingers together. "You know she only wants you to stay because-"

"Because she doesn't want me to be alone," Farkle interrupted in a whisper. His tone was never harsh or mean, he sounded like he was tired. Maybe he didn't receive the best sleep the night before. His smirked slightly. "I know our Riley better than you think."

Maya nodded slowly. "I know you know her well. You're an observer, very much like Josh. You pay attention to people." He didn't say anything. "But Riley is right. You should stay and mingle. There is a pretty amazing family in there and you just so happen to be an honorary member because of Riley. I'm sorry about your parents Farkle. I understand how hard this is going to be, but the best thing I ever did to get through that hard time, was never spend more time alone than with good people because then I would be miserable and become depressed. I don't want you to seclude yourself."

"You worry too much about me Maya," he stated, leaning forward. "You know that you're my best friend, but I've finally come to realize what you are to me." She looked at him curiously. "You're like the best sister I never had. Thank you for being that role to me."

She smiled brightly, knowing deep down that her place in Farkle's life was closer than a best friend, but nothing romantic. "Of course." They were so much like siblings, in the way they fought and in the way they loved each other. "So what does 12 year old Farkle say about this?" She raised her eyebrows.

He chuckled. "He would scoff and slam his hands down on the table and deny it all and claim you were the night, the dark mystery of his world to solve . . ." Farkle leaned back slightly. "But you're not anymore. You're not dark, nor mysterious. You're quite bright, not as unpredictable, and though you've been through so much in the last year, including almost losing your life, you still manage to keep a smile on your face. So my views have changed about you."

Maya messed with the pattern on the pillow beside her. "So you look at me like a sister. What about Riley? Because I know it's not the same."

Her best friend whipped his head to the side and looked at her with this hard look as if he was trying to figure something out, but couldn't place the thought or just could fathom why his feelings were. He licked his lips and purses them. "Farkle is still trying to figure that out." He referred to himself in third person. Maya thought he must be really struggling with this thought, but he thought he was in the wrong. He knew he shouldn't feel for Riley, even if it was the slightest bit at the moment, but he did and he was sure if he thought about it more he'd be in a big hole that he wouldn't be able to get out of . . . or a bigger hole than he already dug.

"You'll figure it out," she said as her mind drifted to years ago and how things have changed and would never be the same. Her eyes looked over to Farkle and she could help how much he had changed and truly believed that he changed the most.

"I was smart right?" He looked at her for an answer but she narrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I didn't chose in order to keep you both. That was the smart decision right?"

She nodded. "At the time, yes. We were all innocent and fragile and still figuring out the meaning of relationships, and that included friendships. We didn't know what we would all mean to each other in the future." Her eyes found a photo of her, Riley, Farkle and Lucas sitting on the bench in John Quincy Adams Middle School. "Lucas had to choose, and look what happened? He doesn't have any of us now." She looked over at him. "He could though, if he wanted."

"I'm sure he does, but it's gonna take some time for him to come around," Farkle said. "It won't be like it was before, but we're all still friends. Even with Zay and Smackle."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, I talk to both of them on a weekly basis, but Lucas is harder to reach out to if he won't bother to text back." The genius agreed with her. "Farkle. You were smart, Lucas was smart, but he should have been smart recently during this hard time with Riley. Things might've turned out differently if he had made better communication attempts. You didn't choose back then because it wasn't the right time. But you know what I am to you now and you're still figuring out what Riley is to you, but don't resist. Explore your feelings. If you don't, you might miss out on someone who could be the rest of your life."

The rest of his life? That someone? Meaning, the "one?" He bit his lip, trying to picture that, but it seemed like he was too young . . . It was too soon. At least for now, and he didn't want to think about that. Let him get a girlfriend first. Farkle looked over at Maya once again and studied her. Her way about her and her attitude towards people and life had changed. There was a smile on her face even when she wasn't fully smiling. It was in her eyes and in her rosy cheeks. "You're so happy." She looked at him suddenly." And Farkle then realizes what she said to him and why she had said it, but he wasn't going to tell her. She was going to have to tell him. "Josh makes you so happy, it's hard for you to even act upset, because you still have that smirk that never leaves."

Her expression proves his thought. She doesn't look at him, but at the door, with the sparkle in her eye as if Josh was standing right there in front of her. "I'm in love with him." She looks at Farkle's smiling face. "And people could say that is crazy because we've only been dating for seven months, but I just-I'm falling in love with him."

He smiled at her, and his own heart fluttered I excitement for her. Maya was one of Farkle's loves. He would always love her. Even if it wasn't in a romantic way anymore, she was his best friend, the sister he never had, and that would never change.

Just as he was going to comment to her and tell her how happy he was to see her happy, the door to Riley's room flew open and in came Selina and Riley with Riley in tow. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt a what sounded like a very important conversation," Selina stated. "I mean it was important, wasn't it? I did hear the word love and what not."

Riley looked at Maya and Farkle and then at Selina who was making a fool of herself. The expression etched on the young Matthews face looked amused and somewhat annoyed by her cousins questioning. "What are you talking about?"

"Maya said something along the lines of love if I recall hearing correctly, just as I was walking up to the door."

Farkle stood up. "Do you know anything about a private conversation?"

Maya put her hand up for the genius to quite talking. "Selina, how much did you hear?" She asked for the sake of Farkle and his confusing feeling towards Riley.

"All I heard you say was, 'I'm in love with him,' and that had me curious because it looked like you were with Josh earlier." She sounded as if she had a plan to bust Maya for doing something terribly wrong.

"Are you assuming I told Farkle that I was in love with him?" Maya asked, as if the idea was completely foreign and strange considering the conversation they were having five minutes ago. Selina nodded, as if that wasn't the most absurd idea in the world. "Selina, you're right, I did say those worlds, but I was telling Farkle about Josh. You see, Farkle is one of my best friends, he's practically like my brother."

Riley stepped forward and smiled, as if this was something she had come to realize to. Then she looked at Farkle and her expression was clouded once again. _Oh boy_ , Maya thought. She grabbed Riley's hand and then Farkle's. "Look, I know you both are going through stuff, family wise, and school wise, and I'm sorry if I'm not helping based on my expressions, but I'm still here for you both."

"Oh that's okay Peaches. You're happy. You're living on top of the world right now, and we couldn't be more okay with that." She leaned in to give her best friend a hug.

Farkle smirked. "She's right, Squish. There is absolutely no reason for you to apologize for being happy." He nudged her. "In fact, living with you and your happiness, it rubs off on us."

"I love you both so much, but I'm going to go love up on my man," Maya smiled and the butterflies returned to her stomach. She still couldn't get over how Josh was her man.

As she walked towards the door, she heard Riley ask her, "you're in love with him?"

The blonde bit her lip in order for it to not tremble in excitement. "Yes, I am." The look on her best friends face seemed to light up even more as she looked at Farkle who was also beaming. Selina looked crest fallen as Maya stepped passed her and out the door.

Her eyes searched the room to find Josh, who had been standing beside Topanga by the front door, handing her a bag of what must have been for dessert and coffee. He must have sensed her gaze, because his blue hues looked over immediately to meet hers. His expression looked concerning with his eyes brows narrowed and lips parted, as if he was about to ask her if something was wrong.

She walks towards him and he meets her in the meets her slightly to the front of the couch, but closer to the edge of the kitchen step. It was the same spot she remember hugging him after calling him Boing in front of Riley. She specifically remembered him denying any blood relations to her. It was something that gave her hope all those years ago. "Uncle Boing," she said, with a goofy smile on her face.

His expression turned amused, and he decided to play along. "I'm not your uncle, Maya."

"Even better," she stated, as she slid her arms around his torso, staring up at him. She could faintly see the pink rising in his cheeks and relished in the effect she had on him. He wrapped his arms around her too and lightly kissed her forehead, that left a tingling sensation and then her lips. It was firm, but quick, due to the amount of people in the room. She couldn't help herself. "I love you," she whispered.

If his face could get more red than it was before, it did. "I love you too."

"No really," she said. "I really love you Josh."

He stared at her in awe. It was like he had just received the lottery. He led her around to the bay window in the living room, where no one was and before Maya could sit down, she was pulled into a hug, and it wasn't just a normal, friendly hug. It was secure and sweet embrace. She felt safe and loved, oh so loved. He pulled back and lightly grabbed her face to kiss her again. "I love you, and I couldn't be more thankful for you. I sometimes feel like I don't deserve to have someone as great and gorgeous as you, but when you say that or you show me this affection where you break down your walls, I cant help but feel utterly grateful for having you in my life. I love you."

Despite the trials life was going to throw at them or had just pulled them through, Maya knew that nothing could ruin this moment. He was hers and she was his. They were going to get through this world together.

* * *

 **A/N:** _I feel like I'm turning into a sap when writing Joshaya. I love it. Also, I'm sorry for maybe confusing you slightly on the No Ones POVs, I just thought I would test my skills to see if I could write multiple points of view all at once._

 _Also, I'm officially moved! Hooray! I can't wait to finish organizing and decorating for the world to see! I will be posting photos on both of my Tumblrs (blueyedpandas and yugen-escapism) as well as my new Instagram (blueyedpandas). I haven't posted a lot on Instagram, but now that I'm finally getting settled into my new home, I'll be able to keep up with all of my online hobbies!_

 _Feel free to PM me ideas, prompts, and if y'all have any suggestions on Netflix for stuff to watch, I'm looking for good shows/movies to stream. I hope you all have a beautiful and magical week!_


	10. The New Protector

**A/N: PLEASE READ!**

 _Hello World! I feel like it's been forever . . . and saying that I was just busy is no excuse. I do have something that I can actually talk about now. Before it was all waiting and not wanting to say anything because of the fear of it all not working out, but it has!_

 _For those of you who know, before in my last few posts, I moved out of my small hometown and into a bigger city. I had been in the hiring process for a job and had some down time before I started work, which was when the last two chapters went up. I started working and life was getting ahead of me. Working full-time is a completely new experience for me, but it's definitely been beneficial for my wallet. Hehe ;)_

 _I apologize dearly for the absence of the continuation of this story, and I just wanted to tell you all how much I appreciate the love and anticipation you've shown. I really love writing this story and I'm glad that people are still willing to read and be apart of the GMW fandom._

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count: 7,072**

* * *

 **Previously on S &S:**

 _"_ _No really," she said. "I really love you Josh."_

 _He stared at her in awe. It was like he had just received the lottery. He led her around to the bay window in the living room, where no one was and before Maya could sit down, she was pulled into a hug, and it wasn't just a normal, friendly hug. It was secure and sweet embrace. She felt safe and loved, oh so loved. He pulled back and lightly grabbed her face to kiss her again. "I love you, and I couldn't be more thankful for you. I sometimes feel like I don't deserve to have someone as great and gorgeous as you, but when you say that or you show me this affection where you break down your walls, I cant help but feel utterly grateful for having you in my life. I love you."_

 _Despite the trials life was going to throw at them or had just pulled them through, Maya knew that nothing could ruin this moment. He was hers and she was his. They were going to get through this world together._

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The New Protector**

Why did this have to be happening to her, out of all people? It was the time she said something, gaining the confidence to confront the disgusting pig, this so-called young man was being. It was her mistake. He knew she was aware of him now. Fully. So instead of backing off, like she suggested, he pushed further. Right into the cold metal shelves.

 **Josh**

He tapped his foot on the tile, just before the door opened next to the seat he was sitting at. Mr. Renaldo greeted him with a hug and welcomed him inside. "Good morning Matthews. Now I know you're wondering why I've called you in here today, in the middle of our meeting."

The young man stopped at once upon seeing a conference table full of other officials. "I'm not sure, Mr. Renaldo. You call me in for a lot of things," Josh smiled at his boss, making small talk as he usually did. For some reason he was nervous and he wasn't sure if it was because of the way the guy was looking at him, but he had a feeling something big was fixing to go down. Josh coughed and sat down at the empty seat next to his boss.

Renaldo smirked slightly, and laced his fingers together, tapping his thumbs. This is what normally happened the he was about to give a business proposal. "Joshua, you are a stunning employee, and as your boss, your friend, and head director of the Department of Culture at this museum, we would like to offer you the position as Manager of the Curator Department."

Josh was sure this was a joke, but he was surrounded in the middle of a business meeting with other people in the Cultural Department and they looked completely serious. "Um I don't understand, I've only been with the company for almost a year. I didn't think I qualified for a higher position yet."

The woman next to him giggled. "Mr. Matthews. You've been with us for almost a year, you should know that after the ninety day probation period we don't give raises or bonuses based on how long they've been here, but instead on the talent they've revealed to us during their time here."

The young man smiled slightly and looked back at Mr. Renaldo. "She's right Josh. You have your whole life here in New York. You're family is close and that beautiful girlfriend of yours, who I'm sure has missed some time with you, but you're a loyal employee, who has shown exemplary talent and determination in all you do. You've helped accomplished more this year than we've had in the last five years. When you're here, you work, and you do the job well, and quick. You deserve this position, if you are willing to accept the role."

He slid the packet with more information over to Josh. He skimmed through and noted the flexibility, but the also the trips and schedule. "Um I'm flattered that you'd consider me for this position and if I didn't have any ties here in the city, I'd accept right away, but is there a way I could take this and read over it, and give you an answer in a few days? I just need to talk about this with someone."

Mr. Renaldo nodded. "Yes you can. Give me an answer by the end of next Friday. I understand if you don't take the position Josh, but I do hope you look at your future with this company. You are a great asset to us. And I think this could benefit you and Maya, for the future."

"Thank you," Josh said. "I'll let you all get back to your meeting."

His boss smiled. "You know, if you do accept the position, you'll be sitting in these meetings," Josh chuckled with the others. "Have a good day, Matthews."

Josh walked out into the hall and looked down at packet. This was going to be an interesting conversation . . .

He stood on the other side of the display of vinyl records, talking to his girlfriend, who was looking intently at the packet. "Josh! This is amazing! You get a 15% raise from where you are now. Plus paid vacation and sick days, health and dental insurance for you and your family for life. You're basically set up financially, and with a job you love. You could even move up to a directors position eventually. This is a great opportunity for you."

"I know, but look at the travel schedule," he pointed out. "I'd be gone more than I've ever been and I know that put strain on us this last year. I love you and I want us to think about this together," his blue hues met hers, and she sighed, nodding.

"Okay. Alright. We'll continue this conversation later . . . at the cabin," she moved around to face him. "Now, I love you, but I've got to get back to work." She stood on her tippy toes to kiss him.

Josh bit his lower lip, praying that something could work out, without losing the one he was closest to.

 **Riley**

She was sinking. In exams and preparation. And it was draining the life out of her. "Seriously, why couldn't Mr. Daniels plan his exams accordingly to the other professors?" She scoffed to her best friend on the other side of the line. "Now instead of going to Philly with my family, you being there with your grandparents, and Maya leaving with Josh to go Upstate the start Christmas break, I'll be here studying till my brain goes numb for Monday's final Humanities exam."

"You know the content Riley. We've been over it, and you helped me last year with my project when I took the class, so that gives you bonus information. He gives the same exam every semester," she wished she could see his expression. "Look, I don't think it's too late, but I know Mr. Daniels keeps study guide to the test in the library. If you ask one of the front desk people, they might let you in the file room to see if there are any left. I'm sorry that you're gonna be by yourself this weekend. If I had it my way, I probably would have staying with you, but with this mess between Mom and Dad, I don't want to upset them both further."

Riley bit the bottom of her lip, because she felt bad for what was happening in his life, and felt guilty for complaining about something stupid. "I'm sorry Farkle. I completely understand. Thank you for the information though. I'll stop by the library after I finish closing the cafe."

"Call me or text me when you get home, though," he commanded.

She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "I will. Have fun, and keep an open mind. I'll see you Monday afternoon when I get down there."

They hung up and she appeared from the back of the cafe to greet some more guests.

About an hour later, a flurry of blonde hair swooped in from behind her, grabbing a fresh muffin from out of the case and poured herself two to go mugs of coffee and capped them. Maya looked up and smiled. "So, Josh and I will pick you up from the train station on Monday afternoon right?"

"Yes," she said, as she enveloped her in a hug. "Have fun Upstate." She gave her a look. "But not too much fun."

Maya raised her eyebrows. "You know it's bound to happen at some point, right Hunny?"

"But he's my uncle, Maya."

"And we're dating Riles." She laughed. "I won't tell you it'll happen. I'm not even sure it will. I'm not even expecting it. But it's going to happen in the future."

Riley nodded. "I guess I'm just jealous you get to start the vacation earlier than me."

"Mr. Daniels is a whack for being late with his exams. Study, but don't overdue it. You'll fry your brain. Order pizza, watch a ton of movies. Soon you'll be out of that classroom with an A under your belt and on a train to meet us in Philly for some family fun!"

The brunette's lower lip got bigger. "But family fun that starts early is so much better!"

"I'm sorry, Pumpkin."

Another person appeared on the other side of the bar. Josh leaned over with a smile upon his face. "Ready to go, Babe?"

"Yes-er-ee!" She stated, before looking back at Riley. "Love you, Buttercup. I'll see you in a couple of days. Call me when you get home."

Riley sighed. "See you guys in a couple of days."

 **Maya**

They left the cafe and Maya felt bad. Everyone was leaving New York and her best friend was stuck. She debated on whether they should go the weekend after Christmas, but Josh laced his fingers with her own as they drove down Broadway and the feeling slowly left her. Riley would be okay. It was only two days.

She people watched as they slowed down in traffic, listening to the sound of Journey's greatest hits faintly in the background. There was an old homeless man sitting on the sidewalk, next to his shopping cart smiling at the young man who knelt down next to him, giving him a cup of hot coffee.

A couple, hand in hand, walking down the sidewalk twirling each other around. Maya narrowed her eyebrows as she studied them. The boy was tall, lanky, dirty blonde hair, and glasses on his face, and the girl had long brown locks that looked like chocolate. They reminded her of two people she knew, but couldn't figure out exactly who or why the thought came to mind.

There was a little girl and her mother, both carrying a bag of groceries. It reminded her of when she was little, and would help her mom carry food into the apartment. The little girl was smiling and dancing around, while her scarf flew back in the wind. It reminded her of when she would help her mother when she was little.

Her mother . . . she smiled. Her thoughts drifted back to the Thanksgiving party, just after her conversation with Josh by the bay window.

The camera flashed as Maya parted from her boyfriend, and she looked to the side to see her mom standing five feet away holding the small contraption to capture moments. "You both look like you just got out of a very important conversation."

Josh smirked. "I'd like to think that every conversation with Maya is important."

"That's why you get the trophy for best boyfriend . . . and listener," Maya joked, but was all serious at the same time.

Maya glanced over at Selina, who had a scowl on her face. Katy narrowed her eyebrows. "That girl is too pretty to be frowning like that."

"She is," the young blonde agreed. She lightly stepped away from Josh and made her way over to the girl. "Hi Selina."

The girl rolled her eyes, almost reminding her of another brunette she knew. "You don't have to come over and gloat. I get it, he's yours."

Normally this would have made her mad, but she just felt bad for the girl. "Selina, I'm not one to gloat. I wanted to ask you if you were okay? I didn't know you didn't know about me and Josh dating. I'm sorry, but you're apart of this family and I wanted to make sure that we were on good terms before the night ends. You are so pretty and I'm so sorry for whoever broke your heart to make you think that you have to work harder than everyone else for people to notice you. You don't have to try, you just are beautiful."

"How did you know that someone broke my heart?"

Maya shrugged. "I'm really good at observing people?" She sighed. "In the beginning, I tried way too hard. I did everything to get that dopey guy in there to notice me, and he always shut me down because of the three years age difference. And a part of me thought that maybe I wasn't his type. Even with another guy back in high school, I felt like I wasn't anybody's type. People preferred my best friend over me and so I changed. I didn't grow in change, like you're supposed to, I revamped myself completely, personality and style. It was a terrible decision and I should have know. Through this, I had suffered a heart break. I realized later on that I didn't have to change. I was loved for the person I am. Someone loves you for you. And you don't have to try to be noticed. You are gorgeous."

Selina's facial features softened. "No one has ever said that to me before." She looked at herself in the hall mirror, fixing her eyes before turning back to the blonde. "Thank you. You're very beautiful Maya, inside and out." She opened her arms for a hug and Maya obliged.

They parted ways, and Riley and Farkle appears next to her. "That was interesting to watch." The genius commented.

"She deserves to be told she's beautiful. Everyone does," she gazed back at the group of people mingling around the apartment. She truly realized what it meant to be thankful.

They were approaching the end of the Lincoln Tunnel and Maya was getting nervous. She hasn't been out of the city this way since last year, this time. It wasn't that she was expecting to be in another accident. It wasn't an accident, but that still didn't make her cautious of what was to come.

They were approaching the intersection, when Josh put his blinker on and Maya darted her eyes over at him in panic as she sunk into her seat, waiting for the impact. But it never came. Instead, he pulled over to the gas station and parked at a pump. "We need gas before continue. You want to go in and grab a couple of snacks?" Her boyfriend asked.

She took the few dollars her gave her and walked in, grabbing a couple bags of chips and soda. After paying, she walked out and back to the car, placing the bag in the floorboard on the passengers side. Her eyes found the corner of the street and she spotted a patch of grass, and a bench sitting there. Her feet made their way closer and she tried to rack her memory of there being a bench here.

Maya sat down and she looked at the beautiful woodwork. In the middle of the back of the seat, was a plaque, dedicated to a little girl named Daisy Cardoso, who died December 18, 20—Maya stood up, with tears in her eyes.

Starting at the street she remembered the accident, as if she was reliving it. The car flipping, just at the corner, not even 20 feet away from where the bench was sitting. There was blood—a lot of blood, just before Maya blacked out. But that was her own . . . she thought, just as she came back to her senses. She was on the ground, Josh at her side, holding her her tightly, unsure of what was going on.

"Maya, what's wrong?"

She clenched her heart, in pain, as she tried to explain. "There was a girl. A little girl standing here when my car flipped," she sobbed and pointed to the bench. Josh glanced over at the lettering and then at his surroundings. "Oh no. Baby, I'm so sorry. I had no idea this was where it happened."

"Did you know?" She looked at him with all seriousness. "Did you know that there was a death at the scene."

Josh shook his head, teary-eyed himself. "No, I didn't." He brought her back into his embrace and held her tightly. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault." That still didn't make the pain in her chest sub-side.

It just so happened to be the anniversary, or at least tomorrow it would be, but Friday was the day she left for the cabin, so it felt like it was more today. They took a seat at the bench and became lost in their thoughts, just for a few moments, while Maya shed a few more tears. This was going to be a hard one to get over.

 **Riley**

She closed the cafe up a tad early, just so she could get to the library before closing. This would be the last day to get anything before the break officially started. Her cold hands opened the double doors and she made her way up the stairs onto the second floor where the front desk was. She saw a familiar face and smiled as she put her elbows up on the counter.

"Laural, dear. You should be on a flight to Napa Valley? Not stuck here," Riley stated as the green eyed girl picked her head up.

A smile appeared, and then a sly look crossed as she began to speak. "I'm always put on the back burner here. I'm here till tomorrow afternoon. The other guy is here till Monday. So at least he's behind me. So what can I do for ya Ry-Ry?"

"I was told by Farkle that Mr. Daniels had a study guide to his test here?" She shrugged.

"Yeah, it's upstairs in one of the rooms. I can let you in, but I'll have to come back down here to finish up my closing tasks." She grabbed a set of keys and made her way up the stairs to the third floor. Riley followed along down two different hallways before they reached a door. "Here, I'm not exactly sure where in here they were put, but I know that this is the room the teachers normally stalk the shelves with guides, tutoring help, other stuff. I just check out the books and stalk the shelves downstairs."

Riley smiled. "Thank you, Laur. I will lock the door on my way out."

"Okay, I'll leave the key in lock then. That way you can just drop them off on the counter when you're done." She put the key back in and turned toward the brunette. "And if I don't see you out, have a good break. I'm sorry you ended up on Mr. Daniels last testing day."

She shrugged. "Oh well, after class, I'll be on the train to Philly."

"Yeah, tell Maya I said hello. And Farkle as well," her voice softened at his name. Her eyes sparkled a little. Riley wasn't sure what to think of that, or how to feel. She ignored it and gave her a hug. As she walked away, the brunette couldn't help but wonder about Farkle, and just the effect he had on girls recently. Including some of Riley's gal pals. Her confusion over her feelings just really didn't seem to leave. She shook her head and let the door automatically shut and turned to examine the area of the room.

She checked three different book shelves thoroughly, before she found Mr. Daniels file. After finding all the pages she needed to study with, she put them in her bag and made her way toward the door. Pulling the handle down, it stuck. She giggled it again, and nothing. She put her bag down a tried to open to door again, and again. Nothing.

Panic started rising in her chest and she bangs on the door and cried out the words, "Help! I'm stuck in here!" Her fingers found her phone and dialed Laural's number, but the call wouldn't go through. She tried Maya as well and the same thing happened. No service. She was stuck in here until the place opened again.

She tried to think for a moment. Laural left the keys to her right? She glanced at the door and cursed. Of course it had to have been a door that locked from the outside only. It's a storage closet. But Laural unlocked it . . . unless someone else locked it back up . . . but surely they would have checked inside before locking it. The light was on.

She sat down on the floor and opened her bag. She had a water bottle and some crackers left from earlier. Instead of worrying now, knowing that the library would be open again in the morning, she looked at the notes and munched slowly away. Waiting.

 **Farkle**

"Hey, you've reached Riley, sorry I couldn't answer you're call, you know what to do!" Her chipper voicemail rang in his ears.

As soon as the beep sounded, he spoke. "Riley, as soon as you get this, give me a call. We need to know that you're okay and made it home safe. And by we, I mean me and Maya and Josh. They called me an hour ago stating that they never got ahold of you. Call me."

He was off the phone, and Maya showed back up on his computer screen. "She probably fell asleep when she got home." Her eyes looked puffy, like she was crying. Something was wrong, but Farkle didn't want to ask her about it at the moment. She had Josh to talk to.

"It's 8:30. Come on Maya, if she doesn't pick up from now until 11:00, I'm getting on a train back." He knows she only told him that to comfort him, and probably herself, but when their best friend normally texted them when she was home safe, and didn't tonight, something's wrong. Plus it was a gut feeling. He knew something was wrong. His heart just hoped that it wasn't like Maya's accident last year.

"Okay, just keep us posted," she said, even her voice was croaking. Hopefully she wasn't getting sick.

The computer screen went black and Farkle sat back in his seat. The wait was on.

 **Riley (sorry for the mature language)**

She sat in the middle of the floor, going over the notes for the fifth time, and she knew she had nothing to worry about for this test. It was going to be a breeze. She knew the answers. Now her only issue was getting out of this room. The time was now 11:48 and she was sure she wasn't going to get out of here tonight.

She could try picking the lock, but she wasn't sure how to do that or what she could use. Then it was like someone was reading her mind, because the handle began to jiggle and the door opened to her rescue, but her smile faded at the sight of who it was. "Dillon? Thank goodness, I thought I was going to be stuck in here all night." She tried to move forward, but he stepped in front of her. "Um aren't you going to let me through? It's been a long day, I'd like to go home and sleep."

He didn't say anything and that was scaring her. Instead he closed the door and she backed away from him. "What are you doing? What's going on?"

"We're going to talk," he spoke, his voice oily.

"And why can't we talk in a place that's not confined? I have claustrophobia."

He stepped towards her. "I thought this could be a little bit more private." He checked her out as the panic rose in her chest. What was this suppose to mean? He smirked. "And the room might just get smaller from here."

What? _Her thoughts screamed_. "What's that suppose to mean?" Though her face could read that she knew exactly what he was refereeing to. With all the worry she had, she spoke. "No. No. You stay away from me. From the very beginning of the semester, you have been the worst and most creepy stalker. Watching me, throwing nasty and disgusting comments towards me, trying to follow me home . . . yeah, I know all about it. You think I don't have friends around campus that don't tell me these things. You know why I haven't called the police? Because I don't like doing that to people. But this is way out of hand. Locking me in a room in the Library, just so you can talk to me privately after hours? This is considered kidnapping!"

"You know, you're a real bitch. You have it all hidden to all your friends and the people that your surrounded by, but it's all just a face. You can't prove that I've been watching you, or following you around. Maybe those comments, but I'm not the only one sweetheart. You may have some people fooled, but not all of them."

She straightened up. "Why me though? Why not go for someone else?"

"Because other girls put out. They love the attention and it gives them a sense of empowerment to know that someone is always checking them out or following them around. They're desperate. But you, you're the challenge all guys want. You hate the attention and that's what makes you so desirable. It's a turn on."

"You're disgusting. You think that I'm going to put out to you, and be your prize? No. I'm not one of those girls. And nothing you do or say can make me turn into one of them. I'm not doing anything you want me to do." She was stern, but her voice wavered be cause she was stuck in here. Unless she got around him.

She made her way forward, but he stepped to where she was blocked once again. She quickly stepped to the side, but he followed her lead. She tried to fake hi out this time and almost got around him before he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her back so hard, she slid into across the floor in pain. She stood up, holding her arm that was now scraped up.

Why did this have to be happening to her, out of all people? It was the time she said something, gaining the confidence to confront the disgusting pig, this so-called young man was being. It was her mistake. He knew she was aware of him now. Fully. So instead of backing off, like she suggested, he pushed further. Right into the cold metal shelves.

 **Farkle**

He rushed into the house to find everything the way he had left it. He opened the door to Riley and Maya's room to see no one accompanying the beds. He made his way up the stairs to the loft and saw no one on the couch. He even checked his own room. Riley was no where to be found.

Farkle was on the verge of going insane. His phone rang. He looked down to see Maya's screen saver lighting up in the dark. "She's not here. I'm going to check the cafe and her parents."

"Already checked her parents, place. Nothing. We're heading to the cafe now." Maya said, worriedly. "Meet us there."

He had no idea they had traveled back into the city already, but it was after midnight. It might be the city that never sleeps, but it is easier to get to in from at 1:30 in the morning. Why would he think that Riley would be at the Cafe this late at night? Well, she was studying. Possibly got ahead of herself and forgot to check the clock? But then why wouldn't she answer her phone? Or the cafe number when he called that too?

It took him 20 minutes to get to the stop when he saw lights flickering on in the cafe. He entered to find Josh and Maya talking to each other, each with a worried expression on their faces. "I think we should call Cory and Topanga now. They need to know that Riley is missing," Josh stated.

"Yeah," Farkle agreed. "It just doesn't make sense though. Riley wouldn't run off . . ."

"And she would have let us know if she was going to be somewhere else," Maya finished. "It's so late too, it's hard to think about who she could be with." Her head collided with Josh's shoulder.

He sighed. "Let's go back to you guys place, call Cory and Topanga, get some sleep in and start making calls tomorrow morning. You never know, she could show up before we wake up."

Sleep was the last thing he was going to get tonight, but it was the middle of the night. There was not going to be any help from anyone. Even the police. She would have to be missing for 24 hours for them to tag them as a missing person. But they trudged into the town house, and he crashed on his bed just as his head hit the pillow.

 **Riley**

She sat on the floor, alone in the room, terrorized by what had happened just hours before. She remembered a moment with Lucas, the beginning Junior year when they were at the height of their relationship. Sometimes their make out moments would get very heated, and each time this happened, the more bold and comfortable she would get with him and allow the moment to progress further. But being touched by Lucas was exciting and pleasurable. She sometimes craved that feeling once again, but Dillon wiped every bit of that thought away. Ruined it even.

She felt dirty and used, like leftover dessert that had gone moldy for sitting out too long. Her shirt was ripped and a belt loop had torn off her jeans. Her body was worn out from trying to squirm herself away from his embrace. Her wrists were red and had a slight purplish tint to them after he had finally gotten her secured her from moving. He was strong and hard to get away from. She was finally terrified of him. And he would let it be known to the world that he was getting his way with Riley Matthews, but she was not going to let him have her everything. He couldn't take that from her, could he?

Her fingers found her phone, and she glanced at the time. 7:23 AM. He left hours ago or what seemed like hours, and she was sure he was going to be back soon. Didn't the library open back up at 8? Could be getting ready for his shift, since he was stuck here till Monday.

She just hoped that Farkle and Maya knew something was wrong. She never got the chance to text them last night, to tell them that she was home. They would know that this is unlike her and probably would do something. She'd hope.

Another 45 minutes went by and the door jiggled open once more. Dillon was back, with a bag of food and water. Surely he was going to let her leave. "Why keep me here? You got what what you wanted. Now let me go."

"That's not what I wanted. I found something out during our rendezvous a few hours ago. You will give it to me. It's my price for your freedom. I will be known to have taken it from you." His eyes were dark as he approached her. She knew not to move, or have her face slapped once more, leaving her breathless. "Might as well, since your last boyfriend never wanted it, or that science nerd, who takes you home every night."

Lucas never wanted it? They talked about this. She wanted it. She did. He did too, but he was a gentleman though, and tried so hard to make the moment as memorable and romantic as possible, but each time that it had almost happened, they were interrupted, or towards the end of their relationship, they would begin an argument and the moment would be ruined. As for Farkle, because what other science guy would he be talking about, they were friends. Dillon probably doesn't know that they are roommates, which goes back to how terrible of a stalker he is.

"You're not getting anything. I won't let you take that from me."

He rolled his eye as he handed her the bag. "We'll see. We close at noon today. I'll be back." And he made his way towards the door, closing it.

She huffed in frustration. There has to be a way to get out of here.

 **Farkle**

He had called everyone. And nobody knew anything. So, while Maya and Josh were dealing with the Police, he decided to check the Columbia Campus, because maybe someone she had class with, had seen her.

Granted it was Saturday just after noon, and who would be on campus on the weekend? Well, who knows. It's the last place on his list that he thought Riley might be. He shuffled down the side walk thinking of which building Riley had classes in, when he stumbled into someone familiar.

"Oh, I'm so sorry . . . Farkle?" Her voice was sweet and light, like an breeze. He looked up into the light blue eyes of Laurel Dolterra.

"Laurel! Hey," he coughed, realizing his voice rose about two octaves, thinking he should try that again. "Hey," he said a little deeper. "How are you?"

She giggled. "I'm great! Fixing to leave for vacation. How are you?"

He shrugged. "I'm okay, could be better. Um, anyway. You wouldn't have happened to see Riley within the last 24 hours, did you?"

"Actually, yeah. I saw her last night when she came into the library. She was looking for a study guide, but that's the last time I saw her."

"You saw her leave?" He asked, curiously. A knot was forming in the pit of his stomach as he awaited her answer. He was close to something. He could feel it.

She shook her head. "I let her into the room, but I had to finish up my closing duties, so I told her to drop the keys off on her way out the door. When I came back out into the lobby about ten minutes later, the keys were on front desk, and my co worker was finishing his duties. I assume she dropped them and left. Or Dillon showed her out so we could lock up and go home."

He sighed, thinking he was back at square one, but then he remembered something. "Dillon? Who's Dillon?"

"My coworker."

"Tall, stocky guy, dark hair, decent looking, but gives off this creepy, perverted vibe just looking or being around him?" He asked.

Her facial expressions seemed impressed. "Yeah, that's him. You think he's creepy and perverted too? I'm uncomfortable working with him. He says the most revolted things just out of thin air without thinking about who's around him and he doesn't care. I feel like he'd be the type of guy to lock someone in a room and—"

"We've got to get to the library, now." Farkle grabbed her wrist and pulled her along behind him.

She followed, with no problem. "Wait, you don't think . . . I mean, that's just a theory."

Farkle turned back to look at the girl, who stopped dead in her tracks, looking up to him. "Dillon is Riley's stalker. He's a pretty terrible one, but still her stalker. According to Riley, he's been cat calling her with his friends, and I witnessed him trying to take her home with him one night at a party when she was dating Lucas and under the influence, and he attempted to follow her home one day, but ended up at the gym where I work and didn't follow her in. He's always looking at her like she's some tasty treat, and by your comment, it wouldn't surprise me to think he has her locked up in a room upstairs, where nobody can hear her, because the top floor is closed until spring semester starts."

Laurel marched forward, up the steps until the reached the front door. "We have to be quiet. What are we going to do if we find something we don't want to find?"

"The police know that Riley is missing. If Riley is here and he isn't, we call the police and wait here until they show up and Dillon shows up. If he's already here, I'm still calling the police. They'll need to know that she's been locked up for the last 16 hours. I'm not letting hm get away with that."

The brunette smirked. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"She's my best friend. I'd do anything for her, or Maya. It's who I am. And I'm fully prepared to kick ass if I need to as well."

Just before she opened the door, she spoke so softly he could barely hear her. "That's hot." And his face heated up at the thought that she might have actually said that and he didn't just imagine it.

They made their way through the lobby and up the stairs, because they figured that taking the elevator wouldn't help with the dinging noises if they wanted to be quiet. But on the second floor, heading down the hall, Farkle started to wonder what he was going to do, once he saw her. He was also nervous of what he might find. Was she going to be hurt? Or stripped of her dignity? What was going to be the emotion held in her eyes? Or would he find nothing, and start back at square one?

Those questions disappeared as he heard a scream and a loud crash. He ran down the hall finding the door to the correct room and opened it to find Riley trying to squirm herself away from the embrace of the dude Farkle thought to be a lot bigger than he remembered.

Riley looked tried and completely worn out from probably fighting all night. Farkle's heart broke for her. And he chided at himself once again for leaving her here all by herself.

Dillon turned his back towards her to look at Farkle, when Riley punched him right in the face. He shook his head for a moment, gaining control of his thoughts when he back handed her so hard, she fell back onto the desk.

That put Farkle into motion. He moved so fast he saw noting but red, he didn't even realize Dillon was on the ground, blood trickling down his nose, crying out in pain until Farkle was hovering over him with a sting in his right knuckles. Dillon stood up and tried to take a swing at the genius, but Farkle grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and shoved him up against the wall, knocking the breath out of the guy. "Don't you ever touch her again!" He yelled, before letting him go.

He turned toward the door, where Riley and Laurel were standing, before he felt something sharp being lodged into his back and was being dragged down to the floor from behind, but some how, some way, Farkle slipped from release, turning around and breaking Dillon's nose in his swing . . . and knocking him out too.

The pain in his back was intense and it too made him crumble to his knees. But there was someone else there. Someone else to break his fall, before he could go any further. Riley, who smelt of old perfume and tears was holding him up with whatever strength she had left to spare for the moment. Then a sharp sting came from the place in his back and wave of relief washed over him, but he then felt like he was leaking. Like a water bottle that had a hole in it. Draining.

He looked down at Riley's hands to see a pair of scissors, with the tip a big as a couple centimeters marked in blood. He was . . . stabbed? Well this sure took a turn of events.

"Are you okay, Riles?" He asked, softly.

There were tears coming down her face and she let out a slight laugh. "Me? You were just stabbed and you're asking if I'm alright?"

"Yes." He could care less about himself at the moment. "Are you alright? How bad did he hurt you?"

She lifted up her purple wrists. "Nothing that will stay forever. Just stole 16 hours of my life that I won't get back. But he didn't take anything else. I'm fine." Her voice soft. She was definitely not emotionally okay, but physically, she was, and that's what helped him relax the most for now. She was alive and able.

The police showed up, at just the right time. Because as Dillon came to his senses he tried making his way down the hallway with a bloody nose before the two officers caught him. He was put in handcuffs. As Riley and Laurel were being questioned, Farkle was being helped by EMS who was stitching up his wound. He wondered if he would be arrested for fighting on school property.

"The wound isn't very deep. You'll be okay. I would just be carful sleeping on your left side for a couple weeks. Use a pillow to prop you up and give you support." The EMT said. "And take lots of pain medicine."

Farkle nodded. "Thank you."

"What you did was very brave. You saved your friend from a possible world of hurt and change. A friend of mine was raped and now bores a child that wasn't planned. Her whole life changed. There needs to be more friends like you in the world for people."

The girl turned back to do some paper work while Farkle was approached by the officers for questioning. He feared that he was going to be in cuffs just like Dillon. Instead both officers reached out their hands, wanting to shake his. "You know, we don't get to say very often that these situations are avoided. Because normally we get a call that someone was raped and we have to track down the guy ourselves, but you saved your friend, defended yourself and we arrested him before he reached anyone else. Not often do we get to have a story like this. Good job, Minkus."

Farkle nodded unsure of what to say, but looking at Riley he sighed. Lucas wasn't there to be able to be the protector anymore. It was time someone else stood up to protect their friends, even if he got hurt in the process. So he let the words come to him before ending their conversation. "I'd do anything to protect my friends."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Again, I'm so sorry for the delay in posting, and for the hoping around this chapter. I hope you like it nonetheless. It's going to get a little interesting from here and you might see a one shot from another character (or characters) coming soon! Have a great week lovelies!_


	11. Lot of Talk and Opryland?

**A/N:** _Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews! I can't tell you all enough on how much I miss the show! I'm just happy that people are still posting and reading, and I get to create my own version of the story._

 _Rescuing Hart was my start and success. I'm very sorry to the guest who wants more Joshaya and less angst. Bare with me, there is a lot of Joshaya coming, but Rescuing Hart was all about Joshaya. I did want to focus on Riarkle a little bit more. I have plans, and timeline. I also didn't want this fic to be too much lovey dovey and nothing else. I wanted family to play a big part in this story as well._

 _As for the angst, life isn't all sunshine and rainbows._

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count: 7k+**

 **Previously on S &S:**

" _You know, we don't get to say very often that these situations are avoided. Because normally we get a call that someone was raped and we have to track down the guy ourselves, but you saved your friend, defended yourself and we arrested him before he reached anyone else. Not often do we get to have a story like this. Good job, Minkus."_

 _Farkle nodded unsure of what to say, but looking at Riley he sighed. Lucas wasn't there to be able to be the protector anymore. It was time someone else stood up to protect their friends, even if he got hurt in the process. So he let the words come to him before ending their conversation. "I'd do anything to protect my friends."_

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Lot of Talk and Opryland?**

1 Week Later . . .

 **Josh**

It was the night of Christmas and Josh sat on the roof outside his old bedroom window drinking a beer. The night air was bitter cold, but this seemed to be the place where he could grab a few thoughts to himself. Or at least a phone call from his boss, who had a task for him.

There was a knock at the window, and hiding behind a blonde mane was a bright smile, awaiting to be kissed. He slid the window open and she climbed out to sit beside him. She too had a beer in her hand. He raised an eyebrow and she shrugged. "You'd be surprised at how little attention our parents give us, now that we are adults."

"That's true," he stated. "Even though your dad always gives me that look when we leave the room together."

She smirked. "He only does that to try and look intimidating. I think it's a father thing. Does it work?"

"Not really," he chuckled. "Only when I think about having my own daughter, it does. I would be the same way. But probably worse. I think Shawn will get the hang of it even more as Liv grows."

Maya nodded. "Plus he knows that I'm an adult now. He can't really say anything." She scooted closer to him, and he put his arm around her. She was cold.

"Do you want to go inside? We can talk in my old room."

She shook her head. "I'm okay." She looked up at the stars and took another sip of beer. "So what's going on? You seemed to leave the room pretty quickly earlier."

He bit his lip. "You don't start class again till the fourth right?" She responded with a nod, before he continued. "You want to spend New Years with me in Nashville?" Her facial expression read confused. "Renny offered me double time if I took the job. A couple meetings, and a show but he said that I could take you with me if you wanted to go. I told him that I'd let him know in the morning. I think it'd be fun though. But I understand with Riley and what's been going on with her, if you wanted to stay here—"

"No," she interrupted. "I love Riley. I do. She has been dealing with this 'no sleeping' thing, but she also has Farkle and we need time together. I miss you like crazy and I know that's weird because we do see each other often, but I miss alone time. I want to go. Nashville sounds like fun. Just you and me actually spending time together, and I don't have to worry about any projects or work." She smiled so cheeky, it reminded him of the smile she gave him that first Christmas in New York. "It's going to be so nice."

He leaned in slowly, and she mimicked his actions. Once their lips touched, it was cool and sweet. There was this fog that draped over him, and it seemed like all sense of direction was lost. All his mind could focus on was her, especially when she decided to move over to straddle his lap. He instantly forgot about his beer and held onto her tightly so she wouldn't fall. Their kiss wasn't heated, but she seemed to prefer this seat whenever they were alone. He certainly didn't mind.

"I agree. I could use some of that. I love our families, but these last four days have been overwhelming. I think I just miss being able to sit down and watch a movie without having to get into a conversation with my dad, Shawn or Cory who love to interrupt."

She nodded. "I know how that feels. That's why we always watched movies on Riley's computer in her room, just so we didn't get interrupted."

"Plus, there is this Jack Daniels Music City Midnight Concert on New Years Eve that will be fun," he smiled.

She nodded. "When would we leave?"

"The 30th. I would have a meeting the afternoon after we land, and then the show on New Years Eve, but other than that, we'd get to spend the rest of the time doing whatever we want."

"I can't wait," she kissed his cheek. "Now, what do you think about snow angels?"

 **Riley**

She came down the stairs, and into the kitchen of her grandparents. Her mom and grandma were drinking, what smelled awfully like apple cider and possibly hot chocolate? She decided to get her self some of the cider and sit at the table with them.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Grandma asked.

Riley looked at her sideways. This is all she had received this week being here. She was fine, other than the hard time sleeping, but she could deal. Riley was more worried about Farkle than her own health. "I'm feeling great, besides how awful I feel emotionally that Farkle got hurt because of me. I mean, Dillon is a creep, and I probably won't shake that feeling thinking that he's always watching me, but Farkle has wound now because I was too afraid to go to authorities in the first place. This all could have been avoided."

Topanga shook her head. "I already talked to Farkle. Dillon hadn't attempted anything dangerous, other than looking at you in class. Yes, you could have said something about that, but I know authorities. If only he had attempted something, then he would have been spoken to. Farkle will be okay, and he said he'd go through it over again, if it meant that you were okay. I know that your heart hurts because he got hurt physically, but so did you."

She was right, though she didn't want to exactly talk about what happened in the night of being trapped in that room. Riley could still feel him pushing her against the wall, her shoulder being bruised in the process of her trying to escape, and the cut she received on the back of her wrist and up her arm due to the metal bar she tried to grab in the process of catching herself while falling, but missing completely. She pulled her long sleeves down even further to hide the cuts.

She put the cider up to her mouth to take a sip and winced at the pain of her lips. Her lower lip had a cut due to his teeth biting too hard. She shuddered at the thought of remembering that. Every time she had pulled away, his hand grabbed her jaw line and pulled her face back to his. It was something she didn't want to think about.

"Have you talked to Farkle?" Her grandmother asked. She nodded. "And how is he doing?"

She shrugged. "He's okay, other than being scolded by his mother for leaving in the middle of a family dinner to go back to the city, but his dad understood."

"Jennifer . . ." Topanga sighed. "She was doing so well, and then . . . I'm not exactly sure what happened. I hope they get through this."

Riley nodded. "I'm afraid for Farkle's sake. They've been fighting so much, he's been driven over the edge. I don't know what could happen in the solution of divorce. The town house is in Jennifer's name. All I could think of is us losing the place if things go south with his mom."

"Don't worry sweetie," her grandmother smiled sadly. "If that time comes, we'll figure it all out. We always do." She took another sip of her drink. "Now where is Maya and Josh?"

Riley rubbed the warm mug in her hands. "They were talking out on the roof I think. I'd let them be. I kind of ruined their mini vacation too."

Topanga looked at Amy and smirked. Riley looked between the two adults and noticed they shared the same look. "What? Please don't leave me out of this conversation. I am an adult now."

"Taking it back to where it all started. I think Shawn and Katy would be interested to know what has been going on between those kids at the cabin that they own." Topanga cackled.

Her mother-in-law nodded. "Possibly, but then you might want to spare Shawn the details at least."

Riley narrowed her eyebrows and thought about what they were talking about. "Mom, grandma, you do know that that hasn't happened yet, right?"

Topanga looked at her daughter and almost laughed, but caught herself. "Are you serious?" She looked at Riley's grandmother and then back at her daughter. "You're not joking?"

The brunette shook her head. "Oh believe me, Maya is in love, and glowing with the newness of this relationship still, but they haven't done that yet. I'll know it. She would have told me. There's no way she would have been able to keep that a secret, even if it is my uncle. Even when that happens, she'll be different."

"Well, I'll say that I'm very impressed that they have that much self-control," Amy said. "Or at least my son."

Riley shrugged. "Well after what happened during his first time, I don't blame him for having this much self-control."

Amy narrowed her eyes at her granddaughter. "What do you know?"

"Enough. And I really think that talking to my grandmother about my uncles first time is really weird. But I know enough. They're smart, and they both love each other, so I wouldn't worry about it." Riley shook her head out of the weirdness of it all. "Is this what you guys talk about, when we're not in the room?"

"Love?" Topanga smiled. "Are they saying that?"

Katy entered through the doorway and joined them. "Oh yeah. They've been saying that for a few months already." She grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and sat with them. "Liv is now asleep finally. She's been fussy due to the weather. It's snowing like cats and dogs outside right now."

Amy looked at Riley, "Didn't you say that Josh and Maya were sitting on the roof?"

The side door in the kitchen opened to find two young adults standing in the doorway, powdered in white flakes, with smiles on their faces. "Well, the weather changed pretty quickly," the blonde stated.

"Roof?" Riley asked pointing up with a confused expression.

"Oh," Josh shrugged. "We climbed down the tree and decided to make snow angels. Is that hot chocolate?"

"And apple cider?" Maya asked moving towards her best friend.

"Go change before you sit down," Katy said. "You both must be freezing."

Maya grabbed Riley's hand and drug her to the room they were sleeping in. "So I'm going to Nashville with Josh for New Years. He has an art show on NYE that he helped put together. They weren't going to have him go, but Mr. R called and asked him personally and said that I could tag along too, if I wanted." She changed quickly into her comfy pajamas. "Is that okay?"

Riley smiled. "Of course it is. I'm so sorry that I ruined your mini vacation together. I hope you guys have fun in Nashville."

"Will you be okay? I know you'll be back in the city by that time. I just want to make sure that you'll be alright."

She nodded. "Yes. I'll be just fine. And Farkle will be there too. If anything happens, you'll know."

Maya walked over and gave her best friend a hug. Riley didn't know what came over her to do this, but she honestly didn't care. Riley wrapped her arms around and hugged back. This was her other half and no matter what happened with relationships, this would never change. "I love you, Riles."

"I love you too Peaches." She thought for a moment before opening the door. "Speaking of 'I love you's,' grandma nor my mom didn't know about you and Josh are already telling each other that."

Maya smiled a little. "Oh well this is going to be interesting."

They walked down stairs once again and found everyone in the living room. Auggie was fiddling with his new phone trying to FaceTime Ava since they were apart for the holidays. Cory and Shawn were flipping through the channels to see what movies were playing and grandpa was almost asleep in his chair. Riley smiled at how cute her grandfather was.

She took a seat on the ground next to her brother, and showed him an easier way to find the FaceTime through the texting app. Riles looked down at her own phone and found an old group chat. She sighed and typed out the words, "Merry Christmas" and pressed send.

At once she heard a ding from Maya's phone, who was sitting across the room, below Josh who was sitting on the couch. "Merry Christmas to you too Pumpkin," she smiled.

Riley giggled and shook her head, before she heard her text tone, seeing that the blonde had responded to their friends as well. Not long after Farkle joined in, giving emojis, which were clearly the opposite of how merry he really felt. Smackle texted them not long after followed by Zay and then Lucas.

It had been a long time since they all group chatted and it was nice. Riley didn't understand why she was becoming so emotional, but she could feel herself wanting to cry out how much she missed being back in high school, sitting in her fathers class, interrupting him any chance they got to discuss life and laugh. How Maya and Zay would throw shade back and forth, how Lucas would lean on to the locker to discuss something with her, and how everyday they all would find themselves at Topanga's in their usual spots doing homework and studying.

This was the first Christmas they were all separated and the realization just hit Riley like a pile of bricks. Change was here and she was missing the past. She glanced over at Maya, who was smiling, looking up at her boyfriend, holding his hand. That was Riley last year, with Lucas.

She missed him, but more of talking to him. He used to be her favorite person to talk to. Now who did she look forward to talking to all the time? Of course Maya was always on that list, but besides her?

There was a knock on the door before it opened to find a tall lanky guy standing there with a couple presents in his hand.

"Farkle!" Riley's mom perked up. "Merry Christmas."

He smiled. "Merry Christmas to you all. I'm sorry that I'm here so late, but I couldn't get away from dinner that easily tonight. I have a couple gifts that I wanted to give."

"That's okay, sweetheart." Amy walked over to give him a hug.

Riley moved over to sit by Maya and Farkle to a seat criss cross in front of them. "Maya, this is for you. Riley actually gave me this idea a while ago. You have always brought creativity to our friendship, I thought it was time for me to create something for you."

Maya smiled and tore the wrapping paper apart to see a beautiful frame. Inside was a page of the International Art Magazine. Her eyes widened and Riley glanced over to see what it said. "But this was a couple weeks ago and the first photo . . . this was featured last year in the NYU Art Show. The one that . . ."

"The one you couldn't make because of the accident," he said.

She motioned towards the frame. "How? How did you?"

"Smackle and I went. They caught me taking a photos and videos of it. I told them I was related to the girl who created this piece. I told them about the accident, and how you were stuck at home recovering. I just wanted you to see it. All of those people marveling at your art work. You did fantastic. A woman from the International Art Magazine over heard me and security arguing and wanted to speak to me. I told her your story. I gave her my info. I didn't know what she was going to do with it. I thought maybe your name would have been featured, but I didn't know they'd follow your work for almost a year. I got an email, and she asked me a few more questions about you. I wanted you to be recognized, and I know that you pick up this magazine. I hope that you're not mad."

Maya pursed her lips together, before a huge smile erupted from her face, she and leaned over to give him a hug. "Thank you, Freckle. You really outdid yourself with this one."

"Oh come on, every year I get you some art supplies, I had to do something different eventually. It just so happened to come at the perfect time." He smiled. "You're welcome." His eyes moved over to Riley's and he held out a small package.

It was quite smaller than Maya's but she had absolutely no idea what he was going to get her. She unwrapped to find a beautiful notebook that looked like she had already attacked it with her own doodles, because she found a purple cat, a planet that looked like Pluto, and few words that had come from her own head, but not all at the same time.

"Theres more to this," he mentioned and Riley could see something wrapped around the book and taped to the bottom corner.

She took off what looked like a necklace. It was a golden pineapple. Very simple, and very beautiful. Riley always had something to wear that resembled her friendship in Maya, and though they all three have matching leather bands, she wanted something that resembled something of just him.

"Thank you, Farkle. It's beautiful," She smiled and took his hand and put the necklace in it, while she turned around. He put the necklace around her neck while she lifted up her hair so he could hook it. "And so is this book. How did you?"

"Back in high school, you'd doodle on my notebook while studying sometimes. One of my friends personalizes notebooks. I had an idea and he went with it."

Their gaze at each other lingered for a moment. There was so much she wanted to thank him for this year. He really had stepped up and she couldn't be more grateful for him. Then she remembered. "Oh, I have something for you." She stood up and grabbed his arm for him to follow.

They made their way up the stairs and Riley stepped into the room she and Maya were sleeping in. Farkle stopped at the entrance of the door and she looked up at him with her eyes narrowed, confused. "You okay?"

He nodded nonchalantly, actually walking into the room. "Yeah, I mean, I'm good. It's just you're grandparents, I don't know what they think of me now, with my family and all, plus with the incident of Thanksgiving on news, I just felt weird coming here for the first time."

Riley sighed lightly, careful to how fast she breathed out. She grabbed the small box out of her bag and handed it him. "Farkle, they love you. What ever is going on between your parents, you have nothing to do with that," he didn't look too up beat for the holiday. She put the box between them. "This is for you."

He unwrapped the gift and his face froze. His eyes met hers and he seemed to be in disbelief of the gift in his hands. "Where did you find this?" His thumb swiped over the top of the watch mesmerized at the beauty of it.

"After Thanksgiving, me and my grandpa went to the pawn shop to see if we could get any money out of that old radio for his truck. I saw this in the glass case. The guy swore that it wasn't going to work again, that it would probably be only for show forever. I didn't want to believe it. So I bought it and took it to one of the guys in the engineering department at the school and they fixed it up for me," she smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

He looked impressed, and she thought she smiled even bigger. _What is going on with me?_ She thought. The watch was beautiful. Leather strap, gold lug and bezel, navy blue dial, almost black dotted with silver that looked like stars. The markers were in universal time, and outlining the dial, was the months of the year. Of course it had your normal "hands" but the center of the watch was the sun of the solar system, and scattered around the watch was the rest of the planets, including Pluto. "So the planets actually move?"

She nodded. "The placement of the planets on your watch right now are the exact placement in the sky."

"God, this is . . . wow." He took it out of the box and tried to put it on his wrist, but was so excited to put it on, he couldn't seem to do it himself. Riley lightly grabbed his wrist as she put the watch on him. He watched her as she tightened it and marveled at how it looked. "Thank you. It's beautiful, Riles. How much did you pay for this?"

She looked up at the ceiling. "I'm not gonna say."

"What? No. Tell me." His eyes were wide. "Please?"

She shook her head. "Farkle, it's a gift. Why would I want to tell you the price? Every year we all get each other something meaningful to the other person and we shouldn't have to tell each other how much it cost. You don't have to worry about that."

"Can can you explain the meaning?"

Her hand was still linked to his wrist. She brought it closer to her face to see the beauty of the object. "You don't get to see much of anything involving Pluto these days. But we hear about it the most. It's always been a symbol of hope in our friendship. I still have hope for that little planet and I have hope that things are going to work out for you Farkle. Life has a way of working itself out, even in the toughest situations."

"You're looking out for me?" He asked.

She nodded, "Always." Though she had to admit that he was looking out for her more so in the last couple of weeks.

He towered over her now. She had been noticing more things about Farkle lately, and wasn't sure as to why she was just now noticing them. He pulled her into a hug. "I have a feeling this next year is going to be your year Riles. No matter what happens, I'm looking out for you too."

Their names were being called from downstairs, which interrupted the feeling in her stomach. His eyes continued to search her face, and she let out a breath she didn't know was holding. "I know you are." She nervously glanced away and moved towards the door. "Merry Christmas, Farkle."

They made their way back down the stairs and entered the living room. Riley stopped at the back entrance corner and Farkle ran into her, literally. He grabbed her waist catching her before she fell. Everyone was looking at them curiously. Riley looked around. "Everyone alright?"

Her mother nodded. "Of course. You two?"

She glanced up at Farkle and he nodded, still standing close to her. He lifted his arm. "I got a cool watch." He moved around his best friend and took a seat on the floor in front of the couch. Riley joined a few seconds later.

Conversation continued, mostly talking about the next semester of school, and Josh's new work opportunity. It seemed to be all that Amy could talk about.

"I said no," Josh said.

Amy and Maya both looked at him in shock. While the blonde said nothing, his mother lit like fire. "You turned down a promotion? How could you turn down a promotion like that?"

Josh leaned forward. "Mom, I have my reasons. I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. Can we please just move on?"

Maya studied him. Riley could tell that she was upset, and slightly confused.

"Joshua," Amy said, "I know that it is your life, and you do well. I just think that this was a stupid mistake." She sat back and laced her fingers together.

Riley knew little about Josh's promotion, and how it could very much help his future. She didn't understand why he would pass up an opportunity like that. She watched him as he looked at Maya, whose eyes stared at her hands, lost in her own thoughts.

They all sat around watching The Christmas Story, a family tradition around the Holidays. Riley's eyes began to droop towards the end of the movie. She looked up to see Josh yawning too. Maya was awake, but even she was dozing off.

Once the movie was over with the genius stood up. "I should get back. I only told them I came to bring the girls their gifts. I'm not sure how my mom is going to react knowing I stayed for this long." Farkle moved towards the door.

Before he could make his way out the door, Amy stopped him by lightly grabbing his arm. She brought him in for a hug. "We love you Farkle. Drive safe in the weather. Hope to see you again before you leave for the city."

"Of course, Riley is going to ride back with me, so I'll see you before we head back," he gave a soft smile. "I love you guys too. Goodnight everyone."

And he left for the night.

Amy turned around, grabbing the dessert plates and coffee mugs. Maya bent over to help her. Josh stood up from his spot on the couch and stretched. "I'm going to bed." He turned to his girlfriend who was holding some mugs. "Goodnight." He leaned in to give her a kiss. "I love you."

She smiled sleepily. "I love you too." She brushed her thumb against his cheek, close to the corner of his mouth. "I'll see you in the morning."

Riley and Amy smiled sweetly at Maya as Josh walked up the stairs. "You and Riley can head up to bed. You both have been up since early this morning. Don't worry about the mugs. I'm just going to put them in the dishwasher."

Maya yawned in response, taking the mugs to set them on the counter for Amy. Before giving her a hug and going to sleep. Riley did the same, and met Maya in the room they were sleeping in.

"You sure you're gonna be okay with just you and Farkle for New Years?" Maya asked her best friend.

Riley sighed, mostly out of tiredness. "Yes. We'll be fine. I'll be fine." She meant it genuinely. She climbed into bed and Maya followed. "Are you ready to it just be you and Josh away from the city?"

"Oh yeah, I'm ready."

 **Maya**

She smiled as her and her boyfriend made their way onto the aircraft. The blonde got comfy in her seat and Josh held her had for reassurance, just as he did as they departed for Hawaii during Spring Break almost 10 months ago.

Finally a whole weekend with Josh out of town, so no family distractions or interferences. Though, she could have done without her mom and dad giving her the whole protection speech if anything along the lines of "funny business" happened between the two this weekend. Maya knew what to expect "if" that were to happen, but she wasn't expecting anything, because there would be pressure there, and when there's pressure, there's tension, and . . . she just knows that it's better to go with the flow and not have expectations.

That didn't mean that she didn't shave her legs, bring attractive looking undergarments, and the lotion he absolutely loved the smell of, because she knew that they would be sharing a room where he would see her, sleep next to her where he could smell her, and hold her petite un-prickly figure. She was prepared for that at least.

"So, My Love, what is the game plan for the weekend?" She asked him.

He took out his phone form his back pocket and brought up the schedule his boss sent him. "Renny said that he's going to pick us up from the airport and take us to dinner, and then we go to our hotel and sleep. I have a meeting in the morning after breakfast and then you and I have the day to hang out possibly go to the festival for a couple hours, and then we have an art show that starts at 6 PM and that will go till about 9, then we can head over to the music festival once again."

Maya nodded. "Okay," she beamed brightly at him. She thought about asking him about his decision for the job offer, but this probably wasn't the time or place.

He gave her this admiring look as he smiled back her. "I'm so happy that you could come with me this time."

"I'm glad too."

The plane took off, and the ride was not even two hours. Maya thought they had taken another car ride back to Philly. They exited the plane and found their way down to baggage claim. Josh had already called Mr. Renny to let him know they had officially landed, and sure enough, Mr. Renaldo and his wife were waiting for the young couple in a car that was being driven by another driver.

It wasn't the first time Maya had ridden in a car like this. Farkle had his parents driver drive them to several events, but this was a random person, so she felt almost like an important person riding around.

"So Maya," Mr. R smiled, "It's so nice to finally meet you. Josh talks about you all the time."

She took glance over a there boyfriend who turned red. "Good." She said, which earned a chuckled from him. "I mean I talk about him all the time too, I'm pretty sure his niece is sick of hearing about him."

The older couple laughed. "Oh, they might all seem annoyed, but really they're very happy for you," Mrs. Lopez smiled. "So shall we eat? I've gained quite the appetite riding around the city all afternoon."

"Yes. What would you like to eat you two?"

Maya glanced at Josh curiously. She never expected them to ask them what they wanted to eat. Maya honestly didn't know what she was hungry for, and she was more of a go with the flow kind of person. She didn't like to be the decider of decisions unless it was with a group of people who she was close with. "Well, we're not exactly familiar with the city. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well, why don't we head over to the hotel to Old Hickory? I'm pretty sure Ben is working tonight, and that way we could get you two checked in." Mr. Lopez stated.

Josh and Maya knew that they were staying at a hotel on behalf of the company, but they didn't realize that they would be staying at the nicest hotel in Nashville. The Gaylord Opryland Resort was way out of their price range, but Mr. Lopez had a room ready for them.

"So, my wife and I had a room reserved for us, when planning the show back in August. But, her parents live here in the city and wanted us to stay with them for the holidays, so that where we are staying. You both are going to take the room, if you both are comfortable with that?"

Maya could feel her face heat up in the thought that this would be the first time someone other than Riley and Farkle would know that her and Josh would be sharing the same bed. Not that anything had happened yet between them, but the thought still made her blush. She looked over at her boyfriend and noticed his face wasn't any different for hers. "Yes, that's okay," she stated with a soft voice. His hand reached over to grab her own.

The rest of the car ride consisted of the art show meeting and what they would be discussing the next morning. Maya had not realized that Josh's friend Dave, who he normally traveled with was supposed to be on this project, but due to a family emergency in Utah, where he is from, he had to change his plans. Not that Josh was a last resort, but Josh orchestrated the last big show in Chicago. This was put together by Dave, but Josh knew all the details being close with the guy. Anybody else wouldn't be able to do this.

After arriving at the hotel and getting checked in, and marveling at the beauty and wondering how it was possible to fit what looked like a village and spring into the middle of the building, they finally sat down for dinner.

"So Maya, I know these boys have a meeting tomorrow morning. I was wondering if you would like to run around the city with me? I have some errands to run, but I thought instead of being cooped up in the hotel, though I could imagine you'd find something to do here, but instead of being by yourself, I thought I'd offer you some company." Mrs. Lopez asked sweetly.

The blonde couldn't say no. She had nothing else to do and was kind of wondering what was going to happen when Josh was at the meeting the next morning, so this definitely gave her an excuse to not be bored. "I would love to. Thank you so much Mrs. Lopez."

"Oh, call me Jo. Mrs. Lopez just sounds too formal for me."

Mr. Lopez chuckled. "My wife might live in New York with me, but her heart is still close to home. Always been a family woman."

Maya liked that. She didn't have the soul of someone of high class in New York, even if her husband was different. Ever her look didn't resemble a New Yorker. She seemed like someone who would bring in a stranger, clean them up, get them a home cooked meal, and more for the road. Very homey, like Amy Matthews.

Though the menu price items weren't the best prices in the world, Maya and Josh were going to attempt to pay for their meal, but the Lopez's refused to let them. So Josh and Maya left the tip.

Since concierge had already brought their bags up to the room, Josh and Maya didn't have to worry about lugging those around. They bid farewell to the Lopez's for the evening and decided to take a stroll around the hotel's atrium, before going up to their room.

The Christmas decorations were still up and glowing as beautiful as ever. They could even hear holiday music playing throughout the place, along with the sound of water falling in the background. It was late, but the bakery and ice cream shop was still bustling with guests.

After a nice cup of hot coco, since it was too late for caffeine, they made their way up to the room. As they entered, Maya was receiving a call from her mom. Josh let her be, and made his way to the bathroom to take a shower.

Maya ducked out onto the balcony over looking the atrium. "Hey mom."

"Hey, how was the flight? I was just wanting to check in before I went to bed," her mom said in a low voice, which only meant that her dad was already asleep or the baby was.

"It was really quick, but we are here, and filled with dinner and just ready to sleep. I was up early for my shift and now all I can think about is how fast I'm going to fall asleep." Maya giggled. They continued their conversation for about five more minutes, with her mom finally giving her the talk about the real reason as to why she called. It was the inevitable conversation that Maya was dreading about having with her mother, but knew that if there weren't some discussions about it now, it would be a much bigger conversation later.

"I just want you both to be smart," he mom stated. "Things happen, I know, but I want you both to be ready for it. And I know that you are or have probably asked him about why he said no to the job offer, but don't pry. This is your weekend to enjoy yourselves. Don't spend time on the disapproval of his decision. Now, we love you both. I know you're tired. You sound like your fixing to fall asleep on the phone with me so I'll let you go."

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I don't have expectations. We're just enjoying time together before my next semester of school. And we love you too Mom. Tell dad I love him, and Liv. I'll text you tomorrow. Goodnight." She hung up the phone and went back inside.

Josh, who was already out of the shower and in sweat pants looked at her curiously. "Everything alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah, just checking up on us. Also giving me 'the talk.' Again." Her mom was right. She needed to enjoy this time with him, instead of argue. Maya did not wan't to act like his mother.

"Can't ever seem to get away without it being brought up, huh?"

She shook her head. "No, but I understand. She's my mom. Always wanting to make sure that I'm okay." She moved across the room and to the bathroom. "I'll be out in a few."

Maya got ready for bed as she normally did. This wasn't the first time they shared a room or a bed together. But why did this feel different? Maybe because they weren't home, but in a really nice hotel, on a mini vacation. Without family. She shrugged it off and did a quick rinse through, without washing her hair. She took off the very little makeup she had on and washed her face, brushed teeth, then her hair before putting it up in a ponytail.

This all took about ten minutes. She could feel the wave of sleep that was fixing to come over her. She walked out of the bathroom dressed in her comfy night clothes which made her look five years younger, and she sat on the bed.

Josh was setting his alarm on his phone for the next morning, and looked over at his girl friend. She crossed her legs and put her elbows on her knees. He moved closer to her, but turned away from her, and fell back to where his head fell in her lap. His dazzling blue eyes looked up at her and she smiled sleepily. She combed her fingers through his hair that was finally cut shorter. Messaging his scalp for a few moments, she could tell that he was dozing. "You're not gonna talk to me. You're falling asleep." She laughed.

He smiled followed by a chuckle. "I can't help it. You're fingers are like magic. Nobody would be able to to not relax when being given head messages." He read her facial expressions. "I love you Maya Hunter, but you over think too much."

"It's 1 AM. Almost the time we're aloud to over think about things as human beings." She sighed. "I know, and I know that you and I are figuring it out, but I can't help that I think about it. I stay with you quite a bit, and though we haven't had sex, I guess I'm just curious to know when and how its going to take place."

Josh sat up and laid down on his side getting underneath the covers, but facing her. She did the same. Taking her hand, he did something very sweet and kissed the top of it. "I don't know when or how it's going to happen and it's definitely okay to be curious and wonder, because let's face it, we've been wondering about this since we first slept beside each other on prom night. We've done other things, and yeah they've been at the spur of a moment, but I know one thing is for sure. I don't want it to be planned. I want it to happen when it does. And I want you to be ready. I don't want you to feel rushed with anything, because I love you. And I don't need sex to know that you're the one for me. I will wait for you."

Maya moved closer to him and pull him over her to give him a kiss. She loved kissing him. It gave her butterflies every time no matter how many times they had done this. Their lips moved in harmony for a few minutes and she savored how minty he tasted. Pulling away, but still keeping his face close, he brushed their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. "I love you too Josh." And with that she yawned right in his face followed by a laugh due to his dismay.

He smiled and pulled away to turn off the lamp on his side of the bed. "Goodnight." He said as her eyes closed and she was pulled under a gracious sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Okay so next chapter is going to be posted very soon, I'm almost done with that! Leave a review if you want. Next will be part two to this New Years fic. I apologize for the long gaps through updates. I do not plan to abandon this story, nor do I have an idea of where I'm going to finish with it. I have another fic in the works. More like a two-shot of Zayadora. I'm still working on that. I also have another fic on tumblr that I've been writing._

 _Big things are happening! Including the progression of my original story! Much love to this fandom!_


	12. Trust the Art

**A/N:** Life is one that gets more difficult the older you get. Full time job and school will get the better of you and drown you in your sorrows. But I guess better late than ever my darlings.

Hope you like it, because it's just about to get more interesting.

 **Summary:** _How does living with your best friends affect the way you see one another? Join the lives of the original trio and how they are to face the many challenges in meeting the real world._

 **Word Count:** 7k

 **Previously on Sense and Sensibility:**

 _"Maya moved closer to him and pull him over her to give him a kiss. She loved kissing him. It gave her butterflies every time no matter how many times they had done this. Their lips moved in harmony for a few minutes and she savored how minty he tasted. Pulling away, but still keeping his face close, he brushed their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. "I love you too Josh." And with that she yawned right in his face followed by a laugh due to his dismay._

 _He smiled and pulled away to turn off the lamp on his side of the bed. "Goodnight." He said as her eyes closed and she was pulled under a gracious sleep."_

 **Chapter 12: Trust the Art**

 **Maya**

She woke up to the muffled sound of someone fiddling around the room. Not knowing what time it was exactly, she vaguely remembered Josh needing to be up early for the meeting. Her eyes barely opened as she felt him press his lips to her head, whispering the words, "I'm heading out. I'll see you in a little bit. Love you."

She mumbled back barely audible words before falling back into a slumber only to be woken up to the sound of her incredibly loud alarm on her phone. Groaning she opened her eyes and quickly shutting them due to the brightness beaming through the gap of the thick red curtains. Her fingers found her phone and turning to lay on the other side of her body, she finally let her eyes peak for the time. 8 AM. So the time wasn't terrible to wake up to.

A yawn emerged from her as she sat up and raked her fingers through her hair. Maya glanced around the room and her blue hues found a note on the bedside table. A reminder that she would be picked up at 9:30 by Jo in the lobby. Maya wondered what she was going to be doing today. Exploring no doubt. She was excited to see the city.

Getting ready was nice when your place wasn't a mess and you knew exactly where everything was. Maya took her time reasonably and made sure she was dressed comfortably. She took out her dress for the art show that was folded nicely in a special bag in her suitcase. It wasn't the ideal way to carry a dress, but when you're flying, it's not the easiest choice. She hung the dress up in the open closet. It was a simple floral-embroidered dress. The base was a black and strapless sweetheart neckline, but above the chest was a black see-through mesh, all the way up to the black collar and down the arms, with pink flowers embroidered all over.

It was simple, but a beautiful dress that made her look more like a woman rather than a teenager. She thought that was an important aspect of her look. She was 18, almost nineteen in just a few days. Her boyfriend was 21, out of college, and had a job with a very big art museum. She had just started college. All of these people were much older, and looked at her as a baby, which is how everyone looks at her. She didn't want to look like Josh's baby girlfriend, but someone that was mature enough to be with him and to stand beside him while he worked.

What she decided to wear while walking around the city today was dark denim jeans, a cream colored knit sweater, the maroon scarf she acquired from Christmas the previous year, a jean jacket and brown knee length boots. It was comfortable in this cold weather, classy and casual. She finished with her makeup, which was a toned down version of what she was going to wear for tonight. After a spritz of perfume, she was out the door and down to the atrium.

Once down stairs, she could smell food coming from the bakery in one of the kiosks. Her stomach rumbled and she waltzed inside and back out with a small sandwich and coffee. Her walk to the lobby was confusing and she ended up having to ask for directions twice, but once she was there, she sat in the chairs in the front looking towards the entrance revolving doors. She was about ten minutes early.

Not long after, Mrs. Lopez entered the hotel, with a smile plastered on her face. "Good morning Maya! I have a morning planned for us as well as a lunch. You're in for a treat."

Once in the car, Maya got comfortable. She could actually see landscape today, which was nice, because they got in too late last night to actually see anything while driving. Once getting on the freeway, she notice how different this city looked compared to her city. It was spread out and way less concrete jungle looking. There was green everywhere, and though in some areas you could see where it was hilly, it wasn't as compact as she was used to.

They drove around the city, but avoided the traffic in downtown, which was bustling with people who were driving to work and meetings, and the tons of people who were heading to the festival that was near downtown as well. Making a few stops where they picked up Mrs. Lopez's mother from the nail salon and then went to lunch at this incredible sandwich shop located outside of the city.

Conversation was mostly them asking about Maya and her family, and growing up in New York. And of course she was asked about Josh. "So, how long have you two been dating?" Mrs. Lopez asked.

"About a year now," Maya shook her head in disbelief that it had only been a year. Yeah, officially it was April, but its been since December of last year when Maya decided she wasn't going to see anyone else but Josh.

"But you and Josh have known each other for a long time?"

Shen nodded. "Yes, Josh and I have known each other since I was eight, almost nine? And he was eleven, almost twelve. We've had some run in's when ever his parents would come to New York for a visit to his brothers. We met for the first time at his niece's eighth birthday party. She and I are best friends. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have met him or his family. It's definitely been a rollercoaster of emotions the last ten years with him, but life has a way of working itself out, and I'm loving how it is right now."

Mrs. Lopez's mother Jerrianne looked like a very skeptical woman, but was actually a very sweet woman, who was very seemed very interested in getting to know people. She munched on her chips and responded with a gentle smile. "Rollercoaster of emotions will never stop. Take it from someone who has been married to the same man for 47 years. It might be up and down, but it will never stop being exciting to be in love, and continue loving and then also loving my children as well. The ride won't stop until you have parked your life in heaven. Then a new ride begins."

Maya liked that saying. She had never heard it before. But people didn't talk like this in New York, nor were they as kind and open to others. This was a different atmosphere all together, compared to the bridges that linked the concrete jungle to the outside world. They continued to finish eating before they headed back out onto the road.

They drove back to their home in Belle Meade, and looking around, Maya gulped at thinking this is where she could only dream to live, due to the houses that were being sold for millions of dollars. What exactly did Mrs. Lopez's parents do to own such a beautiful home as this? The answer was unknown for now. They parked the car and made their way into the home. The first room they had entered was their mud room, but walking up the stairs they came into a hallway that led them all the way into the great room. Shiny marble flooring, nice comfortable, but fancy couches decorated the room. The room was split with high marble arches that connected to their living area and open kitchen. At the breakfast table sat 4 guys, one included Josh and another, Mr. Lopez.

Josh spotted his girlfriend this sensual expression entwined with a smirk appeared on his face. She loved that this particular expression was reserved for her only. He approached her and wrapped her in his arms and gave her forehead a peck. "I can't wait to get to the festival later. I could already see the crowds filing in earlier while at the Art Center downtown. We are going to have so much fun tonight."

She desperately wanted to get away with him, but she knew that work for right now is important. "I can't wait either. So what time do you need to be at the show?"

"I need to be there around 5:30, since it starts at 6. It's 11:30 right now, so I thought we could head to the festival for a couple hours." Josh turned, lightly reaching for Maya's hand and intertwining their fingers. He led her over to introduce her to Mrs. Lopez's father, and brother Collins. Mr. Chad looked like he smiled for a living, due to the wrinkles on his cheeks and the twinkle in his eyes. He must have made a lot of people happy in his life.

He shook her hand delicately. "You two are a mighty fine lookin' couple," his southern twang was laced in his accent. "Y'all going to the festival tonight after the show?"

"Yes we are. In fact we might go for a couple hours before to grab food and check it all out, Mr. Chad. Can't wait to listen to some good music and ring in the new year," Josh noted. As they conversed, Maya's phone began to ring. She glanced down and saw Farkle's name pop up on the screen. She looked at Josh showed him her screen and excused herself.

Once out of the room, she answered. "Hey Freckle, how are things?"

" Okay, for the most part. I was just calling to see how everything was going today, and how last night was, and how Nashville is and also, we need a new plan to get Riley to sleep . . ." There it is. She knew this was more than just a 'how are you' conversation. If it were just that, he would have only texted her.

"I don't know. It's the fear, Farkle. It's that invisible shadow, something that her mind is creating in the dark. We both know she can't sleep with the lights on, but when the lights are off, her imagination is making her feel things that aren't really there. I went through the same thing after the whole Don thing, but I mainly slept next to Riley the majority of the time until I got over that. Plus, we don't know exactly what he did to her. She's sensitive right now because of that." Maya ducked outside the house. She didn't exactly want her voice to be echoed through the house with this conversation.

She continued. "When my situation with Don happened, he was forceful and touched in places I didn't want to be touched. I had no control over my body. He was a weight on top of me. It sickens me just to think about. Riley is probably having similar troubles. It's the darkness the empty void. And I don't know if there is anything we can do to help her at the moment. It's a battle she's having with her own mind."

"I just hate seeing her in this state. She's Riley, but not the Riley we know. I want to help her, and I don't know how." He sounded desperate for an answer.

Maya bit her bottom lip. "Well, let's research it, and if I find anything that might help, I'll text you. I'll ask Josh as well. The only two people who are going to be able to help her are you and me, and right now, you are the only one there with her. We'll figure this out together, like we always do."

"Okay, I have a friend I can call as well. My dad was recommended to her when he broke down. She might have a suggestion on how to help her too. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to call."

She nodded. "No it wouldn't. I'll look too and see what I can find. Though it was scary and difficult with the aftermath with Don, I couldn't remember everything, which in my case was good for me, because I can block that out. Riley wasn't drugged, nor with alcohol in her system. She remembers everything. It's so fresh right now. If you notice that she's so sensitive to others touching her, unless she is the one that commences the action. Maybe we can help her with that first. Getting her to trust us and help her not fear the action that comes with physical touch." Wow, that was a mouthful, she thought.

Maya could hear Farkle exhale on the other end of the call. "Okay, I might have an idea for that actually. Thank you. How is Nashville?"

"It's great so far. Josh and I are fixing to go to the festival for a couple hours before the art showcase. I'm excited. For the first time I get to go to a big show like this. And with Josh. It's going to be a great night."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you have fun Maya. It's not everyday you get to have an adventure like this. Tell Josh I said hi. I know that this wasn't supposed to be his show, but the fact that his boss chose him out of all the other people to help out, is saying something." She was about to say something, but he cut her off with another question. "He said no to the job offer though, I know you don't agree with him and his reasoning. Has he mentioned anything to you?"

"No. And I don't understand why he would give up this opportunity. I'm trying so hard to not be upset. It's his career, and his choice, but those benefits, how much he loves his job, I just don't see how he could say no, and tell me it's because he's not ready."

"Just because you think he's ready, doesn't mean that he really is. Maya, don't be upset. The world is full of opportunities. This won't be his only offer. I don't think Mr. Renaldo is dumb to think that Josh has other reasons for not accepting. He'll ask again. I've got to get going though, Riley just got home."

She smiled, loving her talks with Farkle. "You have a great day Farkle. After all, remember that this year ends in about 10 hours and a new one begins."

"Thanks Squish. Happy New Year. Talk to you soon."

She hung up the phone and made her way back inside. Josh looked over at her concerned and his eyes asked her the question if everything was alright. She nodded. "He's just worried about Riley. She was up all night again." Maya wasn't going to mention anything about the job to him. The best thing she can do for him is be happy if he is happy.

Josh nodded, and they walked away from the group of people. "I can't think of any way to help her either. I know that she's battling with something, but if she doesn't talk to us or someone about what happened, she's not going to get better."

Maya nodded. "I know. She's going through something similar to what I went through after everything went down with Don. Yeah, I was roofied and I might have drank a little too much, and not remember much, but I still remembered what it felt like. How awful I felt to not have any control of my own body or actions, and everything was forced. But it's a faint memory. This is too fresh for her, something that she remembers so clearly. She can't even let anyone touch her without flinching, or backing away completely." She sat down on the chair in the great room. "I don't think he just came on to her, but while she struggled to get away, he hit her." She let out a breath that she had been holding.

The thought had never surfaced verbally until now, just remained in her thoughts, wanting to bury them away in another dungeon of sadness. The dungeon reserved for things that she didn't want to admit. "She covers her arms completely all the time. Holds them tightly against her body, as if she's trying to shield herself. I honestly don't think she's dong it on purpose, but she's subconsciously reminding herself that she could get hurt once again."

Josh sat down next to her, and put his arm around her, kissing the top of her head. She could tell his thoughts were everywhere due to his silence. This was very hard for him too. This was his niece. His precious, sunshine loving, bight-eyed niece, who couldn't even harm a fly if she tried. His relationship with her is very delicate and special. Not very many people have this bond that they do. Maya looked up at him and as he stared off at the non existent fire in the fireplace, she lifted her head to place a kiss on the crook of his neck. The action snapped him out of his thoughts and he sighed. "I hate that she's going through this, and we're finding it hard to help her, and I'm pissed at this Dillon guy, but I have to remembered that she's alive, and will get through this. She has you, me, and Farkle." He looked down. "I'll give Farkle a call in a little bit. I think I might have an idea for how he can help her, but right now, let's go to the festival and get food."

He stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it and help on, intertwining their fingers together. All she wanted to focus on was him and her tonight.

 **Farkle**

Farkle spent the day running errands, and doing random stuff for his mom. In the middle of his day, he took that time to call Maya, and ask her for advice. Yes, Riley did talk to Farkle and he was grateful that he was an option to talk to, but when it came to this, he was sure Maya knew more than he did.

Surprisingly to him, she didn't know much more than he did. Which was odd. Riley must not have talked to anyone about this situation. This was an issue. Farkle knew that if you bottled something up for a long time and didn't talk to anyone about it, you would either explode in anger, hurting the people around you and yourself, or resolve to thinking about things that could endanger your mental and physical health. He new this from experience by watching his dad. That was another situation he was finding difficult to deal with.

Farkle and his family were on the tabloids for a couple weeks now, due to the Thanksgiving fiasco. Rumors about his parents relationship crumbling being the reason Stuart Minkus hasn't introduced a new product or upgrade of an old one in a while (that's a 50/50 reason in which his father has been developing a new invention, but it's just not ready for the public quite yet), and this could possibly be the downfall of Minkus's career. Another rumor about Stuart selling the business, not even thinking about handing it down to his son, who has become a rebel himself apparently.

Yes, Farkle Minkus was on the cover only a week after the party, leaving the building in Brooklyn holding hand with a mystery girl, whom wasn't even caught in the photo (thank God), but it didn't surpass the press to write a "great" article on how Farkle Minkus left his long term relationship (which he and Smackle had been in the news before due to science awards—noted that they were dating), for a life involving flings with random girls. He had a great laugh at that with Maya and Riley, who were baffled at the thought of Farkle actually being a guy like that. Farkle was too nice when it came to girls though, so it was mind boggling that people actually might believe such stories.

That didn't stop the curiosity of his friends. Smackle called him not too long after the article was published. She was concerned about what happened and he let her know exactly what happened. Even Zay texted him, which was saying something. It was a few weeks back, but his friend didn't necessarily find out by reading the article at first.

Hey Farkle, I was wondering if you were okay man? I heard something happened the other night at your dad's benefit, and someone we went to school with sent me an article. Are you okay? -Zay

Farkle was glad to hear from Zay, due to their last conversation where they promised they would keep in touch, even if their schedules got busy and out of whack.

Yeah Man, tabloids. Press just don't know how to butt out of peoples personal lives, or not give a story that has so many flaws to it. Fake news, am I right? I'm okay though. Yeah, my dad said some things he probably should have kept to himself, and he got lost in the toast with his emotions towards my mom that he didn't even mention anything about his new invention he's so excited about. As for the girl I'm clearly holding hands with in the photo, that was Riley.

The genius was sure he was going to get questioned about her from Zay, but he didn't even consider that apparently, due to his response.

I figured it had to have been Riley. Maya told me about her Thanksgiving at the Matthews, but didn't mention Riley's name until later. I'm glad that someone close to you was there while that happened. I'm sorry that that has happened as well.

Since Thanksgiving, he noticed Zay texting him more. Farkle guessed that his semester had been coming to an end, and his schedule lightened up. It was nice to be in weekly communication with him again. He wished the same for Lucas, but he had only texted him very little. It was always phone tag with them, but the text version of that. Because their conversations would go on for a few days. Granted he was an hour behind, which doesn't seem like much, but is actually a difference when you have classes all day long and he's a guy who is an athlete who is up early for training and in practice in the evening. Farkle can't blame the guy for being busy.

So he arrived at Topanga's and noticed that Riley wasn't there. It was odd, but he found her mom behind the counter. "Let me guess, she was falling asleep in here once again?"

Topanga nodded. "Not as bad as she was the other day, but there is something we've got to do."

Farkle shrugged hopelessly. "I know. I called a friend who could possibly give some advice as to how to help her, but she's in a meeting right now, so I left her a message. Maya had a point, and we can't blame her. It's a traumatizing event. I just hate seeing her in this state."

"She'll figure it out, Farkle. In the mean time, we just have to be there for her, when she needs us." Topanga wiped the counter down. "And she will come to us when she needs help."

Farkle nodded. "I hope so," he sat down at the bar and Topanga made his usual. He took out his laptop and read some emails. Some were from his teachers next semester, and some were just the random ones you don't want to read, but delete. While sorting out his files and getting his desktop ready for next year, he received another email once again, but this time it was from Dr. Hathaway.

Farkle! So glad to hear from you.

I got your message. And there is this young woman I know that gave a TED Talk a few years ago, and I thought she might be able to explain it better than I would. I've sent you the link in the attachment below. She has a similar story, and this is how she recovered from that traumatizing event. I hope this could help. Also, if Riley is in need to talk to a councilor like me, definitely have her ring me.

Dr. Jen Hathaway

The genius took out his headsets and plugged them into his computer. He scrolled down to the attachment and clicked on it. It was a 30 minute long discussion, but he was ready to hear what this woman had to say.

An hour later, he was walking down the side walk back to his townhouse thinking about the talk. Now this woman was a victim of rape, which Riley had not been . . . but that doesn't mean that it couldn't have happened. Farkle was just lucky enough to actually get there before the worst could take place. Still, she was touched and forced just like this woman. She was pinned to the walk and the floor, helplessly trying to get away.

It was a terrible thought to imagine his best friend going through that. Still, this TED Talk woman, that went by the name of Lindsay in particular had similar issues like Riley. The flinching when someone reached out to touch her, the long, sleepless nights, and the covering up of scars.

It was 5:30 when he arrived home. He walked up the stairs and into the living room where Riley was curled up. He sighed. This was where she normally crashed when she wouldn't be able to sleep the night before. He took the blanket that was draped over the side and placed it on her carefully. He walked into his room and cleaned up a little bit. By the time it reached six, Riley walked inside his room. "Are you going anywhere tonight?" She asked.

He thought about it. This year he didn't really have any plans. "I wasn't sure yet. Do you want to go somewhere?"

She shrugged. "I would like to ring in the New Year doing something."

He sat down on the edge of his bed. "Well, I have no plans. And it's just us for the holiday. So, what would you like to do Mrs. Riley?"

"I want to watch the ball drop up close, but I don't want to be around so many people."

Farkle thought about this for a moment. "I have an idea . . . Are you up for an adventure though?"

She raised her eyebrows. "What do you have in mind?"

They raced through the city, Riley's giggles getting lost in the wind. The city was chaos underway, and people were filling the streets, preparing for the concert. Once on W 46th Street he realized that he was going to need a back up plan. The road was covered with people. There would have been no way they could get to the entrance. The closer they got to Times Square the swarm of people grew, blocking them, making it hard to move. So he grabbed her hand, looking at her to make sure she was okay, and when she squeezed his own, he turned, guiding them the way he should have taken before.

Around the block, he ducked into a store and headed to the back. Riley kept asking where they were going or why they were in a clothing store, but he continued to the back hallway. It was technically an area for their employees, and considering that he didn't own anything or lived in the building of their destination, they could get in trouble. So he ran, tugging her behind him, and somehow ended up backstage in a small theater.

His eyebrows furrowed, confused because he didn't remember this route. His head shook, turning suddenly to think, but he heard footsteps. Riley giggled softly and pulled him behind the curtains, out of sight. Her head peaked to the side to look out of the curtains, but turning back to only realize they were inches apart. She looked surprised, but she spoke softly. "They're gone."

Nodding, they moved forward out the back door, Farkle hoping that this was the right door. Relief flooded him knowing he had chosen correctly. The cold bit of air outside hit them like a wall. The sight that was in front of him was supposed to be a beautiful green garden, but instead greenery was covered in a white sheet of powder, as well as the statues, and the fountain in the middle. Riley glanced around. "What is this place?" She asked in curiosity.

"Well, this is the garden that belongs to the church over here. This is not our final destination, but we're almost there." Farkle walked down the steps into the snow filled garden and across to a narrow path in-between two very tall buildings.

He had only done this once before, but he had taken another direction to get out here into the garden. Once the narrow path opened up, they were now in another spot where greenery would normally fill the walls and the surrounding area. On the left, two chairs and a table sat, which made sense that this was somebody's outside living area. Straight ahead was the fire escape he was looking for. He reached began to climb, but before he continued, he glanced down at the brunette below him and looked up in curiosity. "Farkle Minkus, where are you taking me?"

He smirked at her. "I did say adventure right?"

Riley thought about it, for a split second before reaching her hand up to grab the railing and follow him. Once they climbed to the very top floor, which was very high, Farkle made sure they were both okay before looking at the window greeting them. He fiddled with the side, lightly placing his fingers underneath to open the window. He could feel the blast of warm air meet with his face, and he climbed in. Riley cautiously trailed in as well.

A bark could be heard from behind the door and then a dog appeared just as it opened. A beautiful golden, Labrador Retriever ran into the room, almost running into the wall, dire to the fact he didn't have a full left back leg. He ran straight into Farkle and the genius pretended to fall dramatically, and chuckle while reaching out to greet the dog. Riley giggled and got down on her knees to rub the dog as well. "Whose dog is this? And whose house are we in?"

"This is Astro. Ari is around here somewhere. She likes to hide. And this apartment belongs to Lionel," Farkle finally answered the question she had been asking since they left their house.

"Lionel? As in driver Lionel?" She motioned her hands as if she was turning a wheel while asking her question.

Farkle nodded. "Yep. He is overseas with his family till after the New Year. They normally take the animals with them when they go places, but since they weren't in the country this time, he was told by his wife to keep them here. I offered to help him out. I could feed them, walk Astro, spend some time here, just so he wouldn't have to worry. So he gave me a key, told me that I could bring a couple friends over to watch the ball drop tonight if I wanted. I was going to see what you were up to first, before I suggested. Then again, the adventure was fun."

She smiled. "It was," she walked over to the door and came out into the living room. "How exactly are we going to see the ball drop? These windows don't exactly help the view."

"Oh, that's because we won't be watching it from inside. Come with me." He turned down into the hallway. She followed behind until they reached a small study with a book shelf. Behind one of the books was a handle. He pulled it and the case creaked open slowly revealing a staircase leading to the roof.

Behind him, he could hear Riley speak. "And so, the adventure continues."

He knew she was going to love this place. As he gained closer to the top, the greenery that should be down on the ground, was placed up here in a hidden greenhouse atop the building. As he turned to see Riley, she looked around in amazement. "It's single digits outside, and in here its . . . warm." She closed her eyes, and he could tell she was probably imagining summer. And the brightness of the sun. They don't get that much these days due to all the snow they've been having.

"Rita loves botany, according to Nigel. She likes to grow her own fruits and vegetables in this greenhouse, and apparently does it through hydroponics? She's a smart kid." Farkle took a glance at the framework of the garden. It wasn't a huge room, but big enough to grow several plants. On the far left side of the greenhouse was a glass door leading to the roof. Farkle tugged Riley along and they made their way up the two concrete steps onto the roof of the building.

There was a breeze in the air, and Farkle was hoping that the weather would hold up so they could watch the ball drop from out here. Riley smiled. "It's windy, but it's a great view." Sure enough, they could see Times Square perfectly from where they were standing. Riley turned to look up at him. "Want to make dinner?"

He nodded aggressively before he ducked back into the apartment. With music playing and the tv on ABC, which was live streaming Dick Clarke's New Years Rockin' Eve. They had brought the stuff they were going to make at home, and began to cook. Riley danced around the kitchen, while she made her favorite, rigatoni. Farkle was making something he had learned to make from his grandad. It was a Jewish dessert called Babka. There were several different ways to make it, but his favorite was cinnamon.

Farkle found space heaters in the shed on the roof. He and Riley set up the area overlooking Times Square, with four heaters around set on their highest setting. They took the cushion from the two benches in the greenhouse and placed them together with pillows and blankets on top of them. Surprisingly it was warm on the cot they made. They listened to music and ate their dinner in small conversation.

Riley took a bite out of the Babka and her head rolled back. "Oh how I've missed your Babka."

"And cinnamon," they both said in unison. "My favorite." They laughed. Riley almost looked like her normal self, except with the dark bags under her eyes. He watched her and then took a swig of the vodka he brought from his mom's liqueur cabinet.

He passed her the bottle and she took a swig too. "What are you looking at?" She asked.

"What, I can't look at you?" He smirked, but her eyes still read the same question. "It's just nice to see that I can make you smile every once in a while." The corners of her mouth quirked up. "You're exhausted aren't you?"

She nodded softly. "I hate that it's so hard for me to fall asleep. It's just that anytime I close my eyes, or the lights go off, I can see him, feel him, and sometimes, I could even smell the scent of him. It's suffocating."

"The mind is a fickle thing. Anytime you go through a traumatizing experience, you will have PTSD. There are minor cases, and then their are major cases. In this case, it's minor for you. I want to help, but you have to trust me. You have to be willing to talk to me and Maya. We are the two people closest to you. I have an idea how we can get you past this, but you need to push forward, and not stay where you are." Farkle waited for her response.

She sighed. "I'm tired of being scared. What did you have in mind?"

He stood up and motioned for her to follow him back into the apartment. In the living room he took off his coat, all the way down to his long sleeve shirt. Riley did the same. "Because you fear him, the darkness around you acts as a void. Your fear, lets you see him first. It replays the moments you feared the most with him. He hit you. I know this, because you had a strawberry on your cheek when I got there, but you also flinch when any hand gets close to your face. He forced himself on top of you, giving you the suffocating feeling. He didn't give you any control over your body, which then explains why you've had little physical contact with anyone this last week and a half. Your mind makes up the feeling of him, instead of anyone else."

"This is an experiment. I asked a friend who is a psychologist about this type of situation and how to help and she sent me this TedTalk video of a woman who had a similar experience, and how she treated it. The majority of the video was talking about PTSD, but she shared her own experience in the end. Granted this woman was actually a victim of rape, but that's because no one came to her aid. Everything leading up to what happened, was very much like your experience. I hate to say that if I hadn't been there, you could have been looking at the same situation, but we were very lucky to not have that happen. Anyway, the people who were close to her helped her overcome her fear of physical interaction by giving her hugs. All the time. Now I know that seems silly, but they would open their arms to her and she would have the option to accept an embrace. It's to allow yourself to be in control of your own body, but also to fight that fear of being touched. Soon enough, because she was surrounded by the people she loved, and who loved her, when she would be consumed with fear, her mind refocused on who she trusted, rather than the man who did harm to her."

"Of course this took time some time, but I had another idea pop into my head, as I was watching the video." Farkle grabbed an eye mask to give to Riley. "Now I know this is probably going to sound strange, but it could work. I'm obviously a different body type than Dillon. He's a bit thicker, and more burly. I have a little muscle on me, but I have way less body fat. If you put this on, it will seem like you are standing in the dark."

She looked at him oddly, but she licked her lips and sighed, putting the eye mask over her eyes. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Farkle bit his bottom lip, thinking about how he hoped this was going to make a difference. "This was my idea. So no awkwardness here. You're my best friend. And I don't mean for this to sound so weird, but I want you to get to know a different body type than his. Yes, we've hugged many times, but it's never been the kind of hug you think about constantly. I might be really good at giving hugs, but the way my embrace feels against you is not something that's on your mind all day—or in this case all night."

"So you want me to hug you?" She asked.

"Precisely. But I also want you to take the time—and this is also something you can do with Maya—but take a moment to feel me against you . . . If that doesn't sound weird—but it does."

Riley put her hands up. "I know what you mean Farkle. You're trying to get me to replace the feeling of him, with the feeling of you."

"And eventually Maya, and Josh, and your parents. Basically anyone who is close to you that you love and trust." Farkle took another sip of the bottle of vodka and stood right in front of his best friend. "Now I'm right in front of you, so you can reach out for me. This will also help with the, 'being in control' thing I was talking about. Whenever your ready."

 **Josh and Maya**

It was 7 PM and the Art Show had taken off. People came from all over, to see their display. Of course it wasn't art work you'd see in The Met. Josh worked for a curator department that traveled around, set up shows, did advertisement, that gained peoples attention to partnering museums. This wasn't his show though. It was supposed to be Dave's. Josh didn't want to intrude on his friends work, but he was second to know how the show was supposed to run.

Earlier today, they walked around the festival which had been in full swing since noon had hit. The food was delicious and the music being played by cover bands and small guests filled their ears, giving them a little taste of what was to come when the showcase was over. But for now he was in the bright halls of the art show.

He mingled with art lovers and his boss, who looked at Josh as if he was his pride and joy. Man, Josh hadn't been looked at like that in a long time. Even by his dad. It was a sad thing to say, but yet having a father who has been through fatherhood three times before he came along, it was hard to compete with his siblings. Then he screwed up again. He declined the job offer, for selfish reasons, but it only seemed to make his parents even more concerned about is life choices.

He tried to push that thought aside. He wasn't making bad life decisions. These were to make him happy. He knew that. Josh only wished they knew. The only person that related to him, and was totally okay with him deciding this was Topanga. God, he loved his sister-in-law. She knew exactly where he was coming from. Her parents didn't seem like they wanted anything to do with her after her decision to decline Yale, and stay with Cory, and move to New York City to be this bad ass lawyer. And they still don't seem to notice. But Josh knew she chose this for her happiness. No, her adult life had not been sunshine and rainbows, but she wouldn't change it for the world.

His eyes searched for a blonde in the midst of the crowd. She had been wandering the aisles of paintings, doing her thing while he did his. Mostly because of the amount of people who came up to talk to him. He almost forgot that he had a badge that said Curator on it.

Josh approached Mr. Renaldo, after having a light conversation with an English man. His boss beamed at him. "Joshua, my boy," he patted the young curator on the back. "This is the man of the night. Josh Matthews. He helped our Senior Curator, Dave Tonkins with this project. One of our finest showman's."

"You've done incredible here, Mr. Matthews. I'm Warren." He shook hands with this person, who he'd probably never meet again, but smiled and thanked them on behalf of Dave and himself. "I'd say your team is quite efficient, Ren. You have some fresh faces too. That young blonde is quite the artist herself. Don't have to see her art just to know that she's a creator. Very knowledgable. My wife has had a time talking to her." The woman beside him gave him a bright smile.

Mr. Renaldo narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Blonde? I don't have a blonde working for me."

Josh's eyes widened. "Blonde, short, gorgeous blue eyes, black floral dress?" The man nodded. "That's . . ." He smiled in admiration. "That's Maya."

"Oh!" Renny exclaimed. "Should have known. Maya doesn't work for me. Although, I would love her to. She is a very creative and inspiring person, and my wife loves her. She is with Josh."

"Wow," Warren's wife stated, "A fine Curator, and a beautiful woman by your side, who also loves and appreciates art? You are doing very well with your life."

Josh looked down for a moment, taking in what she said, before looking back up. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He needed that. "Thank you," he felt a hand grasp his own, and he glanced down to meet a beautiful pair of blue hues. "She's definitely art work herself." Her cheeks turned red, but she laced their fingers together and wrapped her other hand around his arm.

"Are you talking about me?" She asked teasingly.

Josh smirked shyly. "I'm always talking about you." He leaned over to kiss her head.

She raised her eyebrows. "You're supposed to be talking about art."

Mr. Warren chuckled. "Keeping him in line, are we Mrs. Matthews?" Maya dropped all of her thoughts and looked at the man who said that, and Josh did as well. Everyone had laughed at his comment. And Josh felt his face heat up at the fact that they all believed Maya was his wife—not that that was a bad thought. He looked down at her hand, and noticed she was wearing a ring. Her great-grandmothers engagement ring. It was a gift when she graduated. Plus her friendship ring with Riley as well. And that's what gave it away.

Maya blinked and she looked up at Josh. She looked utterly confused in this situation. He smiled softly at her. "Yeah, she always keeps in line." Josh winked at her. These people didn't know them, nor did they want to correct them, because correcting them could propose questions that wasn't about tonight. And they were away from home. They both didn't seem to mind. "Anyway," he couldn't seem to leave her eyes, "Artwork."

She nodded. "Yep, art. That's why we're here."

They moved on walking through the room that just never seemed to end. They came upon a photo and Josh couldn't help but smile. "I've heard stories about this painting. Cory and Topanga talked about it. The Starry Night, by Van Gogh."

"This is one of my favorites," she said. "And I don't mean for that to sound like a typical artist, but this painting always looked odd to me growing up. I mean I could look at this photo, and its hypnotizing design, it almost looks as if the sky is really moving. And if you stare at it long enough and look away, you still see it. Imprinted in your brain. Kind of like the actual stars. If you stare at the sky and you close your eyes, you could see those constellations. Mesmerizing. So, from looking odd so long ago, it looks beautiful. Amazing even."

Josh chuckled. "I used to think, when I was younger, that the stars were fireballs, heading to the town."

She laughed out loud, but immediately put her hand up to her mouth. "Like an attack?"

His grimaced face nodded. "Not my finest moment with art. But, Cory taught me a lesson. First he told me that they were stars, hence the name of the painting," he chuckled, "but if I looked closely, I could see how even though it's called The Starry Night, the stars give the town light as if it was daytime. They protect it from the darkness. It gives you something to believe in something bigger."

Maya bit her lip. "And even you have a better understanding than I do sometimes." She looked away. "You should go talk to that group over there. I'll be here. You go do your thing."

He knew he needed to get back to work. There would be time for them later. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said through a smile.

And he walked away, off to discuss another painting in the student section of the gallery.

Maya watched Josh through the night. And to say he wasn't ready to take on this position as a Senior Curator was bull. He is so good at what he does. He had this incredible mind with such deep perspective of everything. Not just art, but he delve into people and life. It was hard to understand why he said no.

She tried to think of it, but it just couldn't click with her.

But she couldn't be upset. She told herself she wouldn't get upset. He knew what he was doing.

Instead she walked around, talking to people. Now they knew her as Mrs. Matthews. She had no idea what to say. She was afraid that if she had said, "Oh no, we're just dating," that would propose questions about their relationship, and they didn't need to have people talk about that for the remainder of the night. She was relieved to know that Josh would go along with it, but that didn't mean she was going to bring it up later.

Towards the end of the show, she stood at the bar, looking at emails she received from her new professors for the semester. Just info about class meetings, projects that would be due, other assignments that were to follow. She was going to be swamped this semester.

"You know, you shouldn't be sitting at a bar in an art gallery looking at your phone," someone new said.

She glanced over to see this older, but handsome man holding a beer. She closed her phone. "Yes, I'm aware. But walking in these heels for the last three hours straight are not my forte."

"Let me buy you a drink," he stated, eyebrows raised in a suggestive way. Disgusting.

She pursed her lips. "Sweet, but no thanks. My boyfriend is standing right over there, and I'm not legal to drink yet."

His jaw dropped slightly and locked. His eyes slacked a little and she knew that he was drunk, probably not even interested in the art, but finding a hook up on New Years, with someone who had a much larger brain than he did. "Okay fine, I wasn't even interested anyway." His tone sounded unbelieving as she walked away.

It was gaining close to nine, when Josh approached her in front of another painting. "Hey, I just got the clear. Everything is set for tomorrow, so I can head out now and enjoy the rest of the night with you."

She smiled. "Awesome. Can I get out of these shoes?"

Josh chuckled. "Of course."

They each grabbed their bag and headed to the bathrooms to change into normal clothes. Maya wore high-waisted jeans, a black cropped long sleeve shirt, chucks, and her tan leather jacket that had fur inside of it. There was no sense in messing with her hair.

She walked out to find Josh in blue jeans a thick gray sweater, a jean jacket with cream colored fur on the inside. He had a black beanie on, which made his blue eyes pop. He put his scarf around his neck, and she did the same. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah," she reached for his hand. "Let's go."

 **A/N:** _The next chapter will end the year. Hope you all are up for an interesting next phase._

 _You all are troupers. Thanks for tagging along still. Mucho love, Panda xx_


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